Prison commissary

Last updated
Commissary list, circa 2013. Commissary List, Florence, CO Prison Camp.pdf
Commissary list, circa 2013.

A prison commissary [1] or canteen [2] is a store within a correctional facility, from which inmates may purchase products such as hygiene items, snacks, writing instruments, etc. Typically inmates are not allowed to possess cash; [3] instead, they make purchases through an account with funds from money contributed by friends, family members, etc., or earned as wages. Typically, prisons set a maximum limit of funds that can be spent by each inmate on commissary.

Contents

Items used as currency

Certain items tend to be used as currency by inmates. Cigarettes were a classic medium of exchange, but in the wake of prison tobacco bans, a number of other prison commissary items have taken precedence. These include postage stamps, honey buns and instant ramen noodles, which is also increasingly popular as a medium of exchange due to its versatility in prisons as food and its relative abundance. [4] [5] In some prisons, packets of mackerel fish or "macks" has also taken prominence as a currency, as it is priced closely with one US Dollar, and maintains stability. [6] In 2021, one "mack" was equal to about one dollar, by late 2023 the price had inflated to $1.30. [7]

Instant ramen noodles—often called "soups" in prison—are a popular item due to the often bland nature of prison food, the durability of common ramen noodle packages, and the uniformity or fungibility based on how one "soup" can easily be exchanged for another or multiple can be exchanged for other goods or services between prisoners in an illicit prison economy. [8]

As prison budgets are cut in the US, ramen has become a popular commodity to supplement food needs. [5] Packets of mackerel are another such item. [9] [10] These ingredients are often used by inmates to prepare meals, colloquially called "spreads". [11]

In both the United States and United Kingdom, electronic cigarettes are available in a small amount of jails. [12] [13]

History

In 1930, the U.S. Department of Justice authorized and established a commissary at each federal institution. [14]

Operation

Some prison commissaries are staffed by government employees and inmates, while others have been completely privatized. Significant price markups are common in prison commissaries, although some prison systems set maximum markups; for instance, the Delaware Department of Correction has a 20% maximum markup.[ citation needed ] $100 million in purchases were made from Texas' prison system alone in 2009. [15] Prison commissary is a privilege that is often taken away for infractions. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramen</span> Japanese dish of wheat noodles in a meat or fish broth

Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including sliced pork, nori, menma, and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese noodle dishes. Nearly every region in Japan has its own variation of ramen, such as the tonkotsu ramen of Kyushu and the miso ramen of Hokkaido.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Numismatics</span> Study of currencies, coins and paper money

Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, medals and related objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commodity money</span> Money with value derived from composition from a commodity (such as silver or gold coins)

Commodity money is money whose value comes from a commodity of which it is made. Commodity money consists of objects having value or use in themselves as well as their value in buying goods. This is in contrast to representative money, which has no intrinsic value but represents something of value such as gold or silver, in which it can be exchanged, and fiat money, which derives its value from having been established as money by government regulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saimin</span> Hawaiian noodle dish

Saimin is a noodle soup dish common in the contemporary cuisine of Hawaii. Traditionally consisting of soft wheat egg noodles served in a hot dashi garnished with diced green onions and a thin slice of kamaboko, modern versions of saimin include additional toppings such as char siu, sliced Spam, sliced egg, or shredded nori. When Chinese dumplings are added to the noodle soup, it is seen on menus as the heartier wonton min. All saimin establishments have their own, often secret recipe for the soup base, but primarily use kombu and dried shrimp as major ingredients. Common table condiments mixed in the saimin broth are Chinese hot mustard and soy sauce, added in small quantities according to each individual's taste. Many local residents of Hawaii also enjoy barbecued teriyaki beef sticks (skewers) or American hamburgers as a side dish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Bureau of Prisons</span> Corrections agency of the US federal government

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the U.S. Department of Justice that operates U.S. federal prisons and is responsible for the care, custody, and control of federal prisoners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noodle soup</span> Variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth

Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such as rice noodles, wheat noodles and egg noodles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Penitentiary, Florence High</span> United States federal prison in Colorado

The United States Penitentiary, Florence High is a high-security United States federal prison for male inmates in Colorado. It is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the United States Department of Justice. USP Florence High is part of the Federal Correctional Complex, Florence, which is situated on 49 acres (20 ha) of land and houses different facilities with varying degrees of security. It is named "Florence High" in order to differentiate it from the United States Penitentiary, Florence ADMAX, the federal supermax prison located in the same complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese regional cuisine</span>

Japanese cuisine has a vast array of regional specialities known as kyōdo ryōri (郷土料理) in Japanese, many of them originating from dishes prepared using local ingredients and traditional recipes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instant soup</span>

Instant soup is a type of soup designed for fast and simple preparation. Some are homemade, and some are mass-produced on an industrial scale and treated in various ways to preserve them. A wide variety of types, styles and flavors of instant soups exist. Commercial instant soups are usually dried or dehydrated, canned, or treated by freezing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prison tattooing</span> Creation and display of tattoos in prison

Prison tattooing is the practice of creating and displaying tattoos in a prison environment. Present-day American and Russian prisoners may convey gang membership, code, or hidden meanings for origin or criminal deeds. Lack of proper equipment and sterile environments lead to health risks such as infection or disease from contaminated needles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tonkotsu ramen</span> Ramen variety originating in Fukuoka

Tonkotsu ramen (豚骨ラーメン) is a ramen dish that originated in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture on the Kyushu island of Japan, and it is a speciality dish in both Fukuoka and Kyushu. The soup broth is based on pork bones and other ingredients, which are typically boiled for several hours, and the dish is traditionally topped with chāshū and served with ramen noodles that are hard in the center. In Fukuoka, tonkotsu ramen is referred to as Hakata ramen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Instant noodles</span> Noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring

Instant noodles, or instant ramen, is a type of food consisting of noodles sold in a precooked and dried block with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil. The dried noodle block was originally created by flash-frying cooked noodles, and this is still the main method used in Asian countries; air-dried noodle blocks are favored in Western countries. Dried noodle blocks are designed to be cooked or soaked in boiling water before eating. Ramen, a Japanese adaptation of Chinese noodle soup, is sometimes used as a descriptor for instant noodle flavors by some Japanese manufacturers. It has become synonymous in the United States with all instant noodle products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prison food</span> Meals served to prisoners

Prison food is the term for meals served to prisoners while incarcerated in correctional institutions. While some prisons prepare their own food, many use staff from on-site catering companies. Some prisons support the dietary requirements of specific religions, as well as vegetarianism. Prisoners will typically receive a series of standard meals per day from the prison, but in many prisons they can supplement their diets by purchasing additional foods, including snacks and desserts, at the prison commissary with money earned from working in the prison or sent by family and friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penal labor in the United States</span>

Penal labor in the United States is explicitly allowed by the 13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." Unconvicted detainees awaiting trial cannot be forced to participate in labor programs in prison as this would violate the Thirteenth Amendment.

JPay is a privately held information technology and financial services provider focused on serving the United States prison system. With headquarters in Miramar, Florida, the company contracts with state, county, and federal prisons and jails to provide technologies and services including money transfer, email, video visitation and parole and probation payments to approximately 1.5 million inmates throughout 35 states.

Paid prison labour is the participation of convicted prisoners in either voluntary or mandatory paid work programs.

A spread is a prison meal made by inmates. Spreads are often made with commissary ingredients, such as instant ramen and corn puffs. Spreads can be simple meals, or elaborate and inventive combinations of ingredients. Spreads may be used to supplement or replace the government-mandated meals provided to prisoners by the prison, due to the unpalatable and insubstantial nature of many prison meals.

Karla Diaz is an American artist who collects recipes from prison inmates and recreates them in performance using only ingredients and utensils available to those incarcerated. Her multi-media participatory performance piece Prison Gourmet comments on system-impacted communities and people, the politics of food and questions about institutional power. She has been exhibited in Spain, the UK and at multiple museums in the US. She teaches at California State University Long Beach. She and her husband cofounded the artists' collective Slanguage.

References

  1. "FAQ: What is the Prison Commissary". Prison Fellowship. 26 May 2017. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  2. "Canteen and money". www.doingtime.co.uk. 29 January 2014.
  3. "Gainesvillesun.com". Fadp.org. 2004-07-24. Archived from the original on 2012-02-24. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  4. Gibson-Light, Michael (2018-06-01). "Ramen Politics: Informal Money and Logics of Resistance in the Contemporary American Prison". Qualitative Sociology. 41 (2): 199–220. doi:10.1007/s11133-018-9376-0. ISSN   1573-7837. S2CID   150090116 . Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  5. 1 2 "Ramen noodles supplanting cigarettes as currency among prisoners". August 22, 2016.
  6. Scheck, Justin (3 October 2008). "Mackerel Economics in Prison Leads to Appreciation for Oily Fillets". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  7. Fanelli, James (November 23, 2023). "Sam Bankman-Fried's Life Behind Bars: Crypto Tips and Paying With Fish". The Washington Post . Retrieved 2023-11-23. A pouch of mackerel fillets costs $1.30, up 30% from $1 in 2020.
  8. 1 2 Giudice, Teresa & Baker, K.C. (2015). Turning the Tables: From Housewife to Inmate and Back Again. Gallery Books. ISBN   9781501135101.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. "Incarcerations" . Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  10. "Mackerel Economics in Prison Leads to Appreciation for Oily Fillets". Online.wsj.com. 2008-10-02. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  11. "The Art of Gourmet Cooking in Prison". www.vice.com. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  12. "This Kentucky jailer couldn't find an e-cig that was safe enough for his jail. So he invented one". 27 November 2018.
  13. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987123/Factsheet.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  14. "BOP: Inmate Money". Bop.gov. Retrieved 2013-09-16.
  15. Stiles, Matt (November 23, 2010). "Texas Prison Commissary Sales". Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2013-09-16.

Further reading