How to find Arizona commissary prices

There is no publicly available, regularly updated commissary price list for the Arizona Department of Corrections. Most state systems, including Arizona, do not publish detailed pricing online, even though they may list available items.

That said, commissary pricing is fairly consistent across facilities because most prisons purchase from the same limited group of vendors. Looking at federal commissary lists can give you a very close estimate of what things cost.

Here is a realistic pricing range to help you budget:

• Ramen and basic food items: $0.40 to $1.00
• Snacks and drinks: $1.00 to $3.00
• Coffee: $3.00 to $7.00
• Toiletries (soap, deodorant, toothpaste): $2.00 to $6.00
• Shower shoes: $5.00 to $10.00
• Clothing (sweats, thermals): $10.00 to $30.00

The first month is usually the most expensive. Inmates often need to buy:

• Hygiene essentials
• Writing supplies
• Basic clothing items

After that, costs tend to level off.

Sending $100 per month is generally a solid amount. It allows for basic needs plus some comfort items like extra food or coffee. If he just transferred, it makes sense that more was spent upfront, but future months should be more predictable.

If you want the most accurate numbers, your inmate can request a current commissary list from inside and share the prices with you. That will reflect exactly what is available at his specific unit.