§ 17-A §2016 — Work program release; restitution

1.
Work program; payment of restitution and fines.
A prisoner who has been ordered to pay restitution or fines may not be released pursuant to a work program administered by the Department of Corrections under Title 34‑A, section 3035, or a sheriff under Title 30‑A, section 1605, or participate in an industry program under Title 34‑A, section 1403, subsection 9 or any other program administered by the Department of Corrections or a sheriff by which a prisoner is able to generate money, unless the prisoner consents to pay at least 25% of the prisoner's gross weekly wages or other money generated to the victim or the court until such time as full restitution has been made or the fine is paid in full. The chief administrative officer of the correctional facility where the prisoner is incarcerated shall collect and disburse to the victim or victims that portion of the prisoner's wages or other money generated agreed to as payment of restitution. The chief administrative officer of the correctional facility where the prisoner is incarcerated shall also collect and disburse to the court that portion of the prisoner's wages or other money generated agreed to as payment of fines after the restitution is paid in full. If the victim or victims ordered by the court to receive restitution cannot be located, the correctional facility shall forward the funds, as provided in section 2009, to the Treasurer of State to be handled as unclaimed property.
2.
Payment of restitution or fines from other sources.
A prisoner, other than one addressed by subsection 1, who receives money, from any source, shall pay 25% of that money to any victim or the court if the court has ordered that restitution or a fine be paid. The chief administrative officer of the correctional facility in which the prisoner is incarcerated shall collect and disburse to the victim or victims that portion of the prisoner's money ordered as restitution. The chief administrative officer of the correctional facility where the prisoner is incarcerated shall also collect and disburse to the court that portion of the prisoner's money ordered as fines after the restitution is paid in full. If the victim or victims ordered by the court to receive restitution cannot be located, the correctional facility shall forward the funds, as provided in section 2009, to the Treasurer of State to be handled as unclaimed property. Money received by the prisoner and directly deposited into a telephone call account established by the Department of Corrections for the sole purpose of paying for use of the department's client telephone system is not subject to this subsection, except that 25% of any money received by the prisoner and transferred from the telephone call account to the department's general client account at the time of the prisoner's discharge or transfer to supervised community confinement must be collected and disbursed as provided in this subsection. Money received by the prisoner as a credit improvement loan in accordance with Title 34‑A, section 3039, subsection 6 is not subject to this subsection.
3.
Restitution; absolute.
The requirements imposed on a prisoner by this section to pay restitution and fines during incarceration apply regardless of whether:

Legislative History

PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2 (NEW). PL 2021, c. 299, Pt. A, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2025, c. 6, §1 (AMD).