Audit finds federal benefits wrongly given to Wis. prisonersPosted: Apr 01, 2011 3:43 PM CDT

MADISON (WKOW) -- A new audit finds Wisconsin prison inmates were wrongly given federal unemployment benefits.

According to a report released by the Legislative Audit Bureau Friday, more than $12 million in benefit payments and other problematic charges were made in the 2009 fiscal year.

The biggest chunk of them is a nearly $10 million overpayment in unemployment benefits, part of which went to prison inmates in Wisconsin.

Audit Committee co-chair Sen. Robert Cowles says it is irritating that money was wrongly sent to inmates and it must stop. The audit says the money should be recovered from those who got it.

The audit says in general, state agencies meet federal grant requirements in the process of administering $15 billion in aid, including $3.5 billion in stimulus money

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