Reading glasses in prison cost five times the national average at retail stores.
A nine-month investigation last year by Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg and Ethan Corey of The Appeal unveiled a systemic and exploitative practice of price-gouging in prison commissaries across the United States. Their report, Locked In, Priced Out, highlights inconsistencies and exorbitant markups for basic necessities, with prices sometimes five times higher than in the community. In 2024, the journalists compiled a first-of-its-kind database, examining commissary prices from 46 states, uncovering significant financial burdens placed on incarcerated individuals and their families.
Disparities in Commissary Pricing
Weill-Greenberg and Corey discovered that markups on essential items often reached staggering levels, with some exceeding 600%. For example, incarcerated individuals in Indiana were charged $33 for an 8-inch fan that retails for $23 in stores. Given that Indiana prison wages can be as low as 30 cents an hour, it could take over 100 hours of labor to afford such a purchase. Considering that most prisons lack universal air conditioning, this exorbitant fee could be deadly for incarcerated individuals.
Similarly, the price of ramen noodles—a prison dietary staple—varied widely, with Florida commissaries charging up to $1.06 per package, nearly three times the retail price at Target.
Beyond food, religious and hygiene products revealed stark disparities. In Connecticut, a Bible cost $4.55, but the only Quran available for sale was priced at $25.99. Muslim inmates frequently faced higher prices for religious items, such as kufi caps, which could cost more than $12 in Indiana, compared to under $3 in community stores.
A Systemic Problem
Weill-Greenberg and Corey highlighted how private vendors, such as Keefe Group, profited significantly from these markups. Keefe, owned by private equity firm HIG Capital, manages many commissaries nationwide and has faced repeated allegations of inadequate services. Profits from commissary sales often fund inmate welfare programs, but critics argue these funds are poorly regulated and sometimes misused.
“Incarcerated people are using their hard-earned money and their family’s hard-earned money to buy things to help them survive,” said Wanda Bertram of the Prison Policy Initiative. “It’s cruel enough that prisons are making people do this. And it gets even worse when you know private companies owned by private equity firms get involved and look for ways to make as much money off of it as possible.”
Living in Deprivation
The investigation also revealed the harsh realities that force prisoners to rely on overpriced commissary items. Meals provided by prisons are often inadequate, with complaints of spoiled or insect-ridden food. Many incarcerated people, like those in Nevada, must rely on commissary food to supplement insufficient diets, leading families to spend hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars monthly.
Hygiene products were another area of concern. In Vermont, reading glasses cost more than $15 in prison, five times the price at Walgreens. Meanwhile, incarcerated people in Idaho paid over $12 for Fixodent denture adhesive, a price significantly higher than retail stores.
Efforts to Reform Commissary Practices
Despite the widespread exploitation uncovered by Weill-Greenberg and Corey, some states are taking steps to address these issues. California passed the BASIC Act, capping commissary markups at 35% through 2028, while Michigan eliminated markups on hygiene items and reduced food markups to 14%. Nevada has also recently enacted legislation to eliminate markups on hygiene products.
While these measures are steps in the right direction, advocates argue that more needs to be done, including increasing wages for incarcerated workers and implementing stronger regulations.
The Human Cost
For families like Jodi Hocking’s, the financial toll is devastating. Hocking spends over $1,000 a month to ensure her husband, incarcerated in Nevada, has access to basic necessities. “I’m literally sending money just to help him survive,” she said.
Weill-Greenberg and Corey’s investigation shines a light on a hidden economy that preys on the most vulnerable, urging systemic reforms to protect incarcerated individuals and their loved ones from financial exploitation.
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