‘Release card’ class action settled

TACOMA, Wash. — A federal court in Washington state approved an $11.6 million settlement that ends a class action brought by formerly incarcerated citizens who say they were forced to pay unreasonable, excessive fees on prepaid debit cards instead of having their confiscated cash returned to them. The settlement amount represents almost 40% of the estimated actual damages, a “significantly higher” figure than most class settlements.