The length of time the money will be held id determined by how the money was obtained. In drug cases, this can go on for months. If money is found on the street and turned into police custody, the funds may be returned as early as 30 days, but can vary depending upon the circumstances.

In some cases, the monies are actually used by the police departments to buy necessities if no one comes to make the claim.

In other cases, the money may be turned over to unclaimed property offices. http://www.unclaimedmoney.net may be a useful resource for locating these type claims.

The short and long answer to this question is there is no clear cut answer.

This is a good question and upon reflection, appears to need more attention and possible legislation to control these type funds on a consistent basis.

Can you post your article when completed. I am interested in what you might find.