Round trip from Maringouin is 122 miles, and a total of 3 hours driving time. In my car, on those roads, that is about 4 gallons of gasoline, at about $4 each, for a total of $16 plus cost of maintaining the car and so on, so let us call this $25 plus time. Lunch for me and the prisoner costs at least $10 if not $15, and it is generally expected one will also give a gift of some kind — a future meal at at least $5, or cash; less than about $25 feels stingy.
So let us say: transportation $25, food in prison $20, $25 to leave with the prisoner. Then there is the $30 or so I tend to spend at a restaurant with a friend halfway home, to ease the transition out. That makes it a hundred dollar day so I do not do it often.
I sometimes cut the food costs to $10, leave no gift, and recover with coffee. Then the trip only costs $40, but it is less satisfying and more stressful. Best if one is leaving no gift is to ramp up the total food cost to $20, so the amount spent on transportation and food is only $45. Afterwards one needs something if not dinner — coffee and a movie, or a beer and a cover charge; we can price that out at $15. That means the compromise cost, between the too Spartan $40 and the pleasant $100, can be $60. Yet still I say it is an all day trip in any case and wrenching; one might as well spend the $100 if one can and make it as festive as possible for all. If one has the time then one could half the cost and go twice as often, but “my” prisoners are not family members of mine.
It is not clear to all prisoners how expensive it is to visit them — or to have them telephone you. It is not clear to most people how expensive it is to have someone or some people in jail you are trying to care for. Taking care of people in jail is one of the hidden expenses of the poor.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 