A New Jersey state audit released Wednesday shows that prison inmates have been picking up unemployment checks, as well as healthcare and retirement entitlements, to the tune of millions of taxpayer dollars. According to the report by Comptroller Matt Boxer, New Jersey shelled out $23 million to jailbirds from June 2009 to April 2011. The checks came from jobless benefits, Medicaid, food stamps, pensions and other programs.

A stunning $2.39 million in benefits were paid out to more than 1,160 people who were listed as dead, according to a scathing new audit of the Department of Transitional Assistance.

The report, released this afternoon by state Auditor Suzanne Bump’s office, also showed where DTA failed to use technology that could have identified $15 million in questionable benefits and shelled out a $1 million more to those using fake Social Security numbers.

Among the findings:

• Auditors identified 1,164 cases where $2.39 million was paid in benefits from six to 27 months after the recipients had died.

• DTA gave out another $532,000 to people either claiming deceased dependents or to 40 people who were being claimed by more than one guardian.

• During the time the audit focused on, DTA did not verify self-reported Social Security numbers, leading the state to pay out more than $1 million to those using two numbers to collect and individuals whose social security numbers were being used by more than one person. It also shelled out benefits for an “extended amount of time” to people with an invalid temporary social security number.

• Five regional DTA offices could not provide documentation for more than 30,000 blank EBT cards, raising serious questions in an agency where past internal probes found employees misusing blank EBT cards to access recipients’ benefits inappropriately.

•Despite generating reports to help identify fraud, DTA did not use them, even though they revealed more than $15 million in EBT activity that auditors say “should have been identified by DTA and investigated.”

freeman3 wrote:Brad,

Here is the dictionary definition of intern. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/dict ... internship
How about wikipedia?http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internship
The above sources indicate that an intern is different from an ordinary employee.

bbauska wrote:So it must be ok, in your opinion, to not pay them a living wage.

The thing is, I am ok with people having the choice to work/intern as they choose. Just like I am ok with a business paying what they choose as well.

bbauska wrote:I agree that the lowest rung at a company or being an intern is the level that anyone should want to be at for long term. Consider it a driving force to advancement.

freeman3 wrote:I did an externship with a judge in law school. Not only was I not paid, since it was a class, I literally had to pay for the privilege. It got me some initial experience. I also volunteered with a disability rights center. In certain jobs/professions getting experience is the paramount consideration. I would bet that those interns are happy to be working at the Nation for the pay they are getting. I am wondering if the same can be said about Walmart employees?