Prison Commissary Guide
When you first enter your correctional facility for the first time, you’ll notice that you get told everything all at once. They inform you about visitation, schedules, rounds, telephone procedures, yard time, and the commissary.
Most of the correctional facilities will hand you a little booklet with all of the information you’ll need to succeed at the jail, but sometimes the jargon in there can be quite confusing.
If that’s the case, you kind of ask your fellow bunkies or your family and friends about what to do when it comes to prison commissary.
So if you are a friend or a family member that is currently incarcerated, here is your guide to how the inmate commissary works.
Prison Commissary – What Is It?
First and foremost, if this is your first incarceration, you may not know that the prison commissary, also referred to as the canteen, is where inmates can buy many things. This can either help make their stay a tiny bit better or where they purchase items they need to get through their day or week.
These correctional facilities don’t give out free things. Everything here is a charge. The only free handout you’ll receive is when you are first brought into the facility. The facility will give you two pairs of uniforms, bed linens, and a start hygiene kit. After that, it is your responsibility to purchase and replace what you need from the commissary. You will not be allowed to ask a correctional guard for these products.
For instance, let’s say you gained some weight (or lost some weight) and your uniforms no longer fit you anymore. Well, you’ll have to go down to the commissary (store) and purchase new ones. You will not be issued new ones for any reason.
Commissary History
There was no such thing as the prison canteen or the commissary before 1930. This would be founded by the Federal Prisons branch. This branch is slightly different from the state level, county level, or city level prisons department.
But, the commissary was put into place to help the facilities gain some more money. Yes, the facilities still had to pay back court costs, among other things, but giving out free items to these inmates for years or even a lifetime can get quite expensive.
Inmates in federal prisons cannot spend more than $360 per month—inmates in state prisons all of their limits. You will need to refer to your handbook to find out what that limit is.
What is Jail Commissary Items Available?
I know we have briefly touched on this subject, but let’s dive a bit deeper. There are many things available in the prison canteen. But please be aware this will be just a general list that can be found in many of the prison canteens throughout the United States.
Most canteens will offer:
- Canned Meats
- Beverages
- Replacement Uniforms
- Clothing (not uniforms)
- Snacks
- Food (to make for other meals)
- Entertainment
Please be aware this is not everything you will see in the canteen, but you’ll find most of these items in your commissary.
How Much Money Does an Inmate Need for Commissary?
As I previously mentioned briefly above, inmates in federal facilities have a limit of $360 monthly. This means they are not allowed to spend any more than that.
But, when it comes to the state, county, and city facilities, these limits will vary. You’ll need to refer to the booklet you were given at the start of your stay.
But you should also note that inmates, while they are in the facility, will have jobs. These jobs will pay some money, not much, but still some. But, if an inmate still owes their court fees and any other fee, a portion of the funds will go to said fees, and their money will be even less. This also goes for when people send money to them as well.
Most families suggest sending anywhere between $50 to $100 monthly. By sending this much, you can make sure the inmate has enough money for items that they need, such as hygiene products, and have a bit of money left over for snacks and other goodies.
If you are unsure of how much money you’ll need to send, contact the correctional facility and ask them for a copy of the commissary list with pricing. They typically have that on hand for you to look at.
How Do Inmates Afford Commissary List?
If you received a list from the correctional facility, you probably have sticker shock. Don’t worry; this happens to everyone when looking at a commissary list for the first time.
As mentioned above, this is a way for the correctional facility to also make money too on these items.
The commissary list is quite expensive. Inmates can truly afford anything on the commissary list with help from family and friends. If inmates don’t have support, this can be very hard to purchase the items inmates need, let alone any extras. This is even with the help of a job.
To be honest, in Washington, there is about 10-33% of inmates are known as indigent, which means they haven’t had money in their account for over 30 days because they are living under the poverty line.
When do Detainees Get Commissary?
Detainees will get their delivery of commissary once a week. The day of the week will be in the welcome booklet you would have received upon your entry into the correctional facility. Most of the facilities have a kiosk in the common area to submit your commissary request and view the days they distribute the commissary goods.
When it is your day to get commissary, they will come into your pod. You will get your delivery, and that’s it. There will be no refunds, returns, or exchanges. What you get is what you get.
If you forgot to order something, you will have to put it on your next commissary delivery.
How to Deposit Money to an Inmate?
This is the part you have been waiting for. How do you send inmates money so they can purchase stuff off the commissary? Well, this can be easy, depending on what method the facility uses.
Please understand that most city and county facilities will typically use the money order method. This method is easy but can take a bit longer to process. Some facilities will allow you to mail the money order to the correctional facility. You will need to fill out the money order with the inmate’s information to get processed. Simultaneously, other facilities will allow you to drop off the money order in the lobby. Again, the money order needs to be filled out.
However, when you get to the state level, most state correctional facilities opt to use an online payment processor that does all the nitty-gritty work for them. The most common one that gets used is JPay. JPay allows family and friends from all over login and send money with ease to inmates incarcerated. This typically only takes a few minutes. You can use your credit or debit card to do so.
How Does an Inmate Know They Have Money?
When you send an inmate money, they will get a memo typically in their inbox with the payment processor. All inmates will be allowed to check into the kiosk to see their balance, purchase items, and send messages. This kiosk is available to the inmates, typically from 7 am to 7 pm.
