Money and restitution
Restitution does not end with your sentence. Missed payments are a supervision problem before they are a financial one.
Restitution does not end with your sentence
Payments continue after release, typically as a condition of supervision, on a schedule based on your income. Interest may accrue. Tax refunds can be intercepted against the balance.
What to do
- Know the exact balance and the exact payment schedule, in writing;
- pay on time and on the record, because a documented history of consistent payment is the thing that supports later modification;
- if your income changes materially, ask for the schedule to be revisited rather than simply falling behind;
- and file your taxes, including any years you missed, because unfiled returns compound into a much larger problem.
Do not treat the balance as an abstraction to be dealt with later. Missed payments are a supervision problem before they are a financial one.
Health
The gap at release is the risk. You leave with a limited supply of medication and no established provider.
These pages cover the general rules. Your situation has details they don't. Email me a question. Answers are free, and "you don't need to pay anyone for this" is my most common answer.
I answer in the order received, usually within a couple of days. I have a day job. If your situation genuinely needs more than an email, I take a limited number of consults, so say so and we'll work it out.
Somebody else is counting down to the same door. Pass it on.