Inmates don’t get a commissary allowance. The money an inmate has available to spend comes from two sources — wages from a prison job and deposits sent in by family or friends — and both are reduced by mandatory deductions before anything can be spent at the commissary window. So the honest answer to how much commissary money inmates get is: whatever those two sources produce after deductions, up to a monthly spending cap set by the facility. In the federal system that cap is $360 a month.
What Inmates Earn From Prison Jobs
In federal prisons, regular institution jobs like food service, janitorial work, and landscaping fall into four pay grades. Grade 4 is entry level and covers about 55 percent of positions; Grade 1 is reserved for skilled roles with minimal supervision and accounts for roughly 5 percent.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. BOP Program Statement 5251.006 – Inmate Work and Performance Pay Typical federal institution pay runs from about $0.12 to $0.40 per hour. A full-time Grade 1 worker might take home around $80 a month before deductions.
Jobs with Federal Prison Industries, known as UNICOR, pay more. UNICOR runs factories inside federal prisons producing furniture, electronics, and other goods, with a five-grade pay structure. New workers start at grade five and can advance to grade one.2eCFR. 28 CFR Part 345 – Federal Prison Industries (FPI) Inmate Work Programs UNICOR pay generally runs from about $0.23 to $1.15 per hour, which is why those jobs are the most sought after in the federal system.
State prison wages vary enormously. Hourly pay for regular prison jobs ranges from as little as $0.14 in some states to around $2.00 in others, with most states clustering well below a dollar. A handful of states pay nothing for certain assignments. An inmate earning $0.25 per hour and working 40 hours a week grosses about $40 a month, barely enough to cover basic commissary needs.
Money Sent In by Family and Friends
Outside deposits are the financial lifeline for most inmates, because wages alone rarely cover commissary. Federal inmates can receive funds electronically through Western Union’s Quick Collect program, which accepts payments online, through a mobile app, by phone, or at agent locations.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Sending Funds Using Western Union State and county systems typically contract with vendors like JPay that offer online transfers, phone payments, and in-person kiosks at the facility.
Every electronic method carries fees. Online transfers commonly cost $4 to $11 per transaction depending on the amount and the vendor. Phone transactions tend to cost a bit more, and in-person kiosk or walk-in payments can carry flat fees of $8 or $9. On a $20 deposit, those fees can eat 20 to 50 percent of the money being sent. The sender, not the inmate, usually pays them.
The cheapest option in most systems is still a mailed money order. Around 45 states accept them with no processing fee beyond the cost of the money order and postage, roughly $2 total. The trade-off is speed: electronic transfers post within a day or two, while mailed money orders can take a week or more to hit the account.
Deductions That Shrink the Balance
Depositing $100 does not mean $100 is available at the commissary window. Facilities deduct money from incoming funds and from wages before an inmate can spend, and these deductions are not optional.
Court-Ordered Obligations
In federal prisons, the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program requires inmates to pay toward outstanding fines, special assessments, and restitution from their criminal case. Under current Bureau of Prisons policy, a portion of all incoming funds is automatically encumbered toward these obligations, and the debt blocks spending until it’s satisfied.4U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual A proposed rule published in December 2024 would formalize a requirement that 10 percent of work pay go toward these obligations, with outside deposits subject to tiered deductions ranging from 0 to 100 percent depending on how much money has flowed into the account over the prior six months.5Federal Register. Inmate Financial Responsibility Program – Procedures State prisons run their own versions, and some deduct up to 35 percent of incoming funds for restitution and incarceration costs combined.
Medical Copays
Federal law allows the Bureau of Prisons to charge a fee for each health care visit an inmate requests. The minimum fee is $1, though the actual copay may be higher.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 4048 – Fees for Health Care Services for Prisoners Emergency care, preventive services, prenatal care, mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and chronic infectious disease care are exempt. Most state systems charge $2 to $5 per sick-call visit, and some charge separately for dental visits and prescriptions. Care isn’t denied for inability to pay, but the unpaid fee is recorded as a debt against the account and deducted when money arrives later.
Other Fees
Many county jails and some state prisons charge daily room-and-board fees, sometimes called pay-to-stay charges. These come straight out of the commissary account. Child support can also be garnished when a court order is in place. An inmate carrying significant obligations may see half or more of every deposit disappear before it reaches the commissary.
Monthly Spending Caps
Even with money in the account, facilities limit how much can be spent. In federal prisons, the monthly commissary spending limit is $360. During the November–December holiday period, that limit rises by $50 for one 30-day cycle, bringing the maximum to $410.7Federal Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual – Chapter 3, Commissary Operations Some items — postage stamps, over-the-counter medications, and certain educational materials — are excluded from the cap and can be bought on top of the $360.
State and county caps vary widely. Some state prisons cap weekly spending at $35 to $50; others allow monthly totals of $100, $300, or even $500. County jails tend to run lower. Disciplinary infractions can shrink these limits further; an inmate found guilty of a rule violation may have commissary privileges reduced or suspended, with some facilities still allowing basic hygiene purchases during a suspension.
What That Money Actually Buys
Commissary prices look modest until you set them against prison wages. A typical federal commissary list gives a sense of scale:
- Ramen noodles: about $0.30 per package (purchase limit of 20 per order)
- Coffee: $2.05 for store brand up to $8.95 for name-brand instant
- Bar soap: $2.15 to $3.15 depending on brand
- Chips or pretzels: $1.35 to $1.75 per bag
- Forever stamps: $0.50 each
- Candy: $0.75 to $1.00 per item
An inmate earning $0.25 an hour would work roughly 12 hours to afford a jar of instant coffee and a bar of soap. That math explains why outside deposits matter so much, and why commissary access tracks closely with family financial support. Radios, MP3 players, and certain clothing items are available at some facilities but can run $30 to $80, representing weeks or months of prison wages.
Inmates With No Money
Inmates without any money are classified as indigent. In the federal system, an inmate qualifies if the trust fund account balance hasn’t reached $6.00 in the past 30 days.9Federal Bureau of Prisons. Program Statement P6031.02 – Inmate Copayment Program Indigent inmates are exempt from medical copays and receive a basic hygiene kit from the facility: soap, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a comb, deodorant, and shampoo. Enough to stay clean, nothing more.
State systems handle indigent inmates similarly, though the threshold and the contents of the kit vary. Most provide a minimal hygiene supply and may allow limited purchases of essentials like writing paper and envelopes. Supplemental food, coffee, and comfort items are out of reach, which is why the gap between inmates with outside support and those without is one of the sharpest divides behind bars.