against a couple of the ring leaders and family members. why so long? the irs wouldn't say. now don't think this inmate get-rich-quick scheme started here at the monroe county detention center. oh, no. authorities tell us it's been going on for decades at state and federal prisons all across the country. >> one of the inmates i interviewed said he had learned of it when he was in a federal prison. >> reporter: the irs told cnn it has programs to combat this but said, "it is not a simple process particularly considering the fact that some inmates are entitled to tax refunds and that the prison population is not static." according to congressional testimony, in 2004, more than 4,000 bogus refunds were issued to prisoners for almost $15 million. but the irs blocked more than $53 million in false claims.