Over the course of 9 months, The Appeal developed a commissary database, tracking prices for the staple items commonly purchased by incarcerated individuals.
Jail and Prison Commissary prices are predatory, often marking items up 600% higher than what they would be on the outside.
This leaves individuals making pennies a day and their families already paying the collateral financial consequences of incarceration, deeper in the hole.
Some Examples
- An Indiana Prison that charged $33 for a fan that would cost $23 at Lowes.
- In Connecticut, a Bible can be purchased for $4.55, but a Quran costs $25.99
- In Florida, they charge $1.06 for a package of ramen priced for $0.35 at Target
Where does the money go? Kickbacks go right back into the state DOC.
Check out the article here.
