Shifts and Shifties

I have never been in prison, nor do I intend to go. So I'm not sure how they do things around there...but I'll wager a guess.
They (being The Prisons) must release the inmates in shifts. I've noticed that lately there have been more than a few recently released inmates applying for food stamps and medical benefits. That's all I had in my interviews one day last week, guys just released from prison. And it's not like they release them according to catagory, either. I had a Grand Theft Auto, an Incest, and a Drug Felon. Then another Drug Felon. And then a Fleeing Felon. It was like a convention of homeless parolees!
When I brought my theory up the other night to Boyfriend, he laughed. Laughed some more...sputtered the words "let them...shifts..hahasnortgarumph"...and finally choked to a stop. But I think I'm on to something.