Both are returned to you upon full release, but how that money comes back to you matters more than most people expect going out the door.
The facility typically returns remaining funds on a debit card issued at release rather than cash. That sounds convenient until you read the fine print. Most of these release debit cards carry fees that chip away at the balance every time the card is used, sometimes per transaction, sometimes as a monthly maintenance fee, sometimes both. The longer you hold the balance on that card and the more transactions you run through it, the more the card issuer collects from money that is already yours.
The smartest move is to go directly to a bank on the day of release and withdraw the entire remaining balance in a single transaction. One fee, one trip, done. You take the cash and the card has served its only useful purpose.
From there, if you need a debit card for day to day use, pick up a reloadable prepaid card at any grocery store, pharmacy, or big box retailer. Cards from Walmart, Walgreens, CVS, and similar stores carry straightforward fee structures and in many cases no transaction fees at all beyond the initial load. They function like a regular debit card for purchases and ATM withdrawals without the predatory fee structures that release cards are notorious for.
The gate fee itself is a small amount of cash the facility provides at release, typically between fifty and two hundred dollars depending on the state, intended to cover immediate expenses until the person can access other funds. That comes as cash directly at the gate and does not go through the card system.