LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska state officials say prison inmates collected more than $156,000 in unemployment benefits because of miscommunication among agencies.
The departments announced Thursday that more than 180 inmates claimed benefits between 2013 and 2015, despite a law that prohibits them from doing so. One inmate received $4,300 in unemployment benefits.
The Department of Labor says it previously wasn't able to tell when a person was incarcerated, but the agency has launched a new crackdown effort with the Department of Correctional Services and the Nebraska Crime Commission.
Commissioner of Labor John Albin says the state will recover the money through wage levies or by offsetting tax refunds.
Claimants who fraudulently collect unemployment benefits are responsible for paying back the benefits plus a 15 percent penalty, and may face prosecution.
© Associated Press
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