Commissary in jail is the on-site store where incarcerated people buy food, hygiene products, stamps, and other items the facility doesn’t issue. Inmates never handle cash. Purchases are deducted from a trust account funded by deposits from family and friends or by the small wages inmates earn from work assignments inside.
What You Can Actually Buy
Stock varies by facility and security level, but most commissary lists share the same core categories:
- Food and drinks: instant ramen, coffee, chips, cookies, canned tuna or mackerel, peanut butter, candy, and flavored drink mixes.
- Hygiene: shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, lotion, and soap. Facilities issue basics, but many people want specific brands or better quality.
- Stationery and mail: writing paper, envelopes, stamps, greeting cards, and pens. Stamps keep contact with family and attorneys going.
- Entertainment: playing cards, puzzle books, crossword magazines, and in some federal facilities small radios or portable media players.
- Over-the-counter medications: cough syrup, antacids, pain relievers, allergy medicine. In the federal Bureau of Prisons, OTC medications and stamps don’t count against the monthly spending cap.
The exact product list and pricing is published on a commissary sheet specific to each facility. Federal sheets are updated periodically and posted in housing units so inmates can plan their orders.
Why Commissary Costs More Than You Expect
Commissary is not a discount store. Prices commonly run 40% to 200% above grocery store rates, and some items are marked up more than that. A packet of ramen that costs under 30 cents at a supermarket can run 40 cents to over a dollar inside.
The markups exist partly because correctional systems use commissary revenue to fund inmate welfare programs, facility improvements, or general operations. Some states negotiate contracts with private vendors that include commission kickbacks of 15% to 35% on all sales. In practical terms, $50 sent to a loved one’s account buys roughly $30 to $40 worth of goods at normal retail prices. Budget accordingly.
How to Put Money on an Inmate’s Account
Inmates can’t fund their own accounts from the outside, so deposits come from family and friends. The common methods:
- Online or mobile: most facilities contract with third-party services like JPay or ConnectNetwork. You create an account, look up the inmate by name and ID number, and transfer funds with a debit or credit card.
- Money order by mail: sent to a centralized processing address (not the facility itself), with the inmate’s full legal name and ID number written on the money order. Personal checks are rarely accepted.
- Lobby kiosk: some jails have deposit kiosks in visitor lobbies that take cash or cards.
- Phone deposit: call-in options run through the same third-party vendors as the online transfers.
The single most common deposit mistake is getting the inmate’s ID number wrong. If the number doesn’t match, the money can sit in limbo for weeks or get returned. Verify the number before every transaction.
Fees and Timing
Electronic deposits carry transaction fees that add up fast. Amounts depend on the vendor contract and the deposit size, but $2 to $5 per transaction is typical for online transfers. Larger deposits sometimes carry flat fees that work out cheaper per dollar than small frequent transfers. Money orders generally skip electronic fees but cost a dollar or two to buy and take longer to post. Deposits above a certain threshold may be held for a processing period before the inmate can spend them.
How Orders Get Placed
Commissary doesn’t work like walking into a store. Each housing unit gets an assigned commissary day, usually once a week. Inmates review the commissary sheet, fill out an order form, and submit it in advance. Some facilities use kiosks or tablets for ordering, but paper forms are still widespread, especially in county jails.
On commissary day, inmates go to the window at their scheduled time and pick up a bag with their order. The cost is deducted from the trust account when the order processes. If the balance doesn’t cover the full order, the entire order may be rejected rather than partially filled. There is no credit and no running tab.
Spending Limits
Facilities cap monthly spending to prevent hoarding and reduce the power dynamics that come with large stockpiles. The federal Bureau of Prisons sets the standard monthly limit at $360, with a $50 increase during November and December.1Federal Bureau of Prisons. FCI Morgantown Commissary Sheet Stamps and over-the-counter medications are excluded from that cap. State and county facilities set their own limits.
Federal inmates who refuse to participate in the Inmate Financial Responsibility Program, which requires payments toward court-ordered fines and restitution, face a stricter commissary limit of no more than $25 per month.2eCFR. 28 CFR 545.11 – Procedures That gap is one reason most federal inmates enroll even when their obligations are small.
Beyond overall caps, facilities impose quantity limits on specific items so nobody corners the market on popular goods. Commissary access can also be suspended as a disciplinary sanction, though most facilities continue to issue basic hygiene supplies during a suspension.
If There’s No Money on the Account
Prison wages are low, often 12 to 40 cents per hour for federal work assignments, and not everyone has family who can deposit funds. Inmates without money aren’t left with nothing, but the gap between what’s provided and what most people consider adequate is real.
In the federal system, an inmate counts as indigent if the trust account balance has stayed below $6.00 for the past 30 days.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Copayment Program Indigent inmates are exempt from the $2 medical copay and typically receive a basic hygiene kit. State systems define indigence differently, with thresholds ranging from $0 to $25, and most require the low balance to persist at least 30 days before benefits apply.
Watch for a catch some states apply: the hygiene supplies and postage given to indigent inmates may be treated as a loan against the account. If money gets deposited later, the facility deducts the cost of those “free” items before the inmate can spend on commissary. A $20 deposit might shrink to $12 or less before it reaches the commissary sheet.
Other Charges That Come Out of the Account
Commissary purchases aren’t the only thing draining the balance. The trust account works as a general-purpose ledger for inmate transactions.
The most common non-commissary charge is the medical copay. In federal facilities, every inmate-initiated health care visit costs $2.00.4eCFR. 28 CFR 549.70 – Purpose and Scope The flat fee applies regardless of treatment. Visits initiated by medical staff, emergency care, chronic disease management, mental health services, prenatal care, and substance abuse treatment are all exempt.3Federal Bureau of Prisons. Inmate Copayment Program State and county jails set their own copay rates, with some charging $5 or more per visit.
Phone time (prepaid from the trust account), photocopying fees for legal documents, and restitution or fine payments under the financial responsibility program can also hit the account. When the balance is too low to cover a charge, many facilities place a lien and deduct from the next deposit. That’s why families sometimes see money disappear faster than expected: old debts get satisfied before new commissary purchases do.
What Happens to Leftover Money at Release
Any remaining balance is returned to the inmate upon release. The method varies. Some facilities issue a check, others load the balance onto a prepaid debit card, and a few provide limited cash. Debit cards work immediately but often carry fees for ATM withdrawals, balance inquiries, and monthly maintenance. Mailed checks can take days to arrive if the processing center handles disbursement after the release date. For someone leaving with limited resources, even a short delay in accessing their own money creates real hardship, so ask the facility’s case manager about the disbursement process before release day.