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California paid $400 million in jobless benefits to inmates

Eric Risberg/AP

FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2016 file photo, a condemned inmate is led out of his east block cell on death row at San Quentin State Prison in San Quentin, Calif. The California Labor and Workforce Development Agency confirmed Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020, that California has sent about $400 million in unemployment benefits to state prison inmates. In all records show 31,000 inmates have applied for benefits and about 20,800 were paid $400 million. A group of local and federal prosecutors said 133 inmates on death row were named in claims. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

By: Associated Press

Posted at 8:20 PM, Dec 01, 2020

and last updated 2020-12-01 23:20:15-05

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The scale of the unemployment fraud involving California state prison inmates has grown to a staggering $400 million. That's nearly triple the amount prosecutors first disclosed last week.

The new number comes from the California Employment Development Department comparing its unemployment claims data to inmates' Social Security numbers.

In all, records show about 31,000 inmates applied for benefits. About 20,800 were paid about $400 million. The rest were unpaid claims totaling about $80 million.

The new number is higher because it includes the base unemployment benefit and additional aid Congress approved during the pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he is “deeply alarmed." He said bad actors abused the system.