The commissary is one of the most important parts of daily life inside a correctional facility. It is where inmates purchase food to supplement institutional meals, personal care items, stationery, postage, and in many facilities access to phone credits and entertainment. For families on the outside understanding how commissary works, how to put money on an account, and what items are available can make a meaningful difference in their loved one's daily comfort and wellbeing. This section covers how commissary accounts work across federal and state facilities, how much money can be deposited and how often, what items are typically available, how commissary functions as informal currency inside facilities, and how to send money efficiently using approved services. The practical knowledge here comes from people who lived inside and know firsthand what a well-funded commissary account means to someone doing time. See also our sections on Money Transfer, Send Inmate Money, and Prison Food.
Related InmateAid Services
Subject: Commissary
It depends on the facility. In federal, the amount is $320 per month ($370 in November and December) on commissary items. This does not include over-the-counter medications, copy cards, or postage stamps. In state prison, the weekly amounts range from $40-60. In the county jails it is about $75 per week. The private prisons like CoreCivic or GEO also allow $75 per week.
Subject: Commissary
Commissary is once a week. It typically takes one week before the newer inmates can get commissary. But it is more related to the "day of the week they are designated", for instance if they come into the institution on a Wednesday and the commissary day for him is on Tuesday, then he'll be able to go the next Tuesday. Also, money in their account must be there in advance.
Subject: Commissary
No, and that access does not exist regardless of who deposited the money or how much was sent.
Inmates retain privacy rights over their financial transactions inside the facility. The account belongs to them, and the spending history is not visible to outside parties, including spouses and family members who funded the account. There is no portal, no statement, and no way to pull up a transaction log from the outside.
That said, it is worth putting your mind at ease about...
Read moreSubject: Commissary
Commissary prices at Reception and Medical Center Lake Butler and Florida state facilities generally run about 15 to 20 percent higher than what you would pay at a standard retail store. That markup exists because the commissary is the only option available and the facility knows it. There is no competition and no alternative, so pricing reflects that reality.
The product selection covers food items like ramen, chips, cookies, and canned goods, hygiene products including soap, shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste, writing...
Read moreSubject: Commissary
You will need to send money to the inmate's trust account where they will have to purchase the prison-approved radio at the comnmissary. Radios caost about $50. We would recommend sending enough to buy headphones too (about $20) :)
Subject: Commissary
Everyone is different. When I first got there, I was buying all kinds of snacks and candy. I thought having those sweet things to eat, would make me feel better. But the more time I did, the more I got into working out and getting into great shape. That is when my preferences changed from sweet to "protein" which meant packets of tuna, mackerel, salmon and chicken. They run anywhere from $1.25 for tuna to $3.75 for chicken.
Subject: Commissary
You should call the facility first before you do anything and see if they would allow it. In state prison, some states allow you to send shoes or work boots (or order them for the inmate and they are shipped in). In federal you definitely cannot. All extra footware is bought through the commissary. The pricing is very fair for sneakers and boots. The inmate would need money on their books to be able to acquire them.
Subject: Commissary
Commissary is usually once a week. Each prison system has their own rules for choice of available items and the weekly/monthly spending limits
Subject: Commissary
In most facilities located in colder climates, the institution issues winter clothing directly to inmates rather than requiring them to purchase it through commissary. Coats, thermals, and cold weather gear are considered necessary items and are typically provided as part of standard issue in regions where temperatures require it.
If the facility does sell jackets through commissary, the price generally falls somewhere in the range of $20 to $50 depending on the quality, the vendor the facility contracts with, and whether...
Read moreSubject: Commissary
Three weeks is long enough that this needs to be addressed formally rather than through casual inquiries that go nowhere.
Your son needs to request an appointment with his counselor and present the facts clearly and respectfully. That means having the specifics ready: the date the order was placed, what was ordered, what was received incorrectly, and the exact amount owed in credit. The more organized and factual he is going in, the harder it is for the issue to get...
Read moreSubject: Commissary
Not directly. Indirectly you can through third-party care package vendors or send money to their commissary account and they can buy goodies at the commissary
Subject: Commissary
Yes, in most county jails, the cash a person has on them at the time of booking gets processed and credited to their inmate account. It does not happen instantly, but the money does not disappear either.
When someone is booked, all personal property, including cash, gets inventoried and held by the facility. The cash portion is typically transferred to the inmate's commissary or trust account within a day or two of booking, sometimes faster depending on how the facility processes...
Read moreSubject: Commissary
Commissary is once a week in most places. We post the commissary lists for the facility on their InmateAid page, especially federal prison.
Subject: Commissary
The transition from county jail to prison involves an orientation period that covers everything the facility expects from incoming inmates before any privileges open up.
When your person arrives, they go through intake processing first. That means surrendering their property, getting issued facility clothing and basic supplies, undergoing a medical screening, and receiving a psychological evaluation. Classification interviews follow, where staff assess security level, programming needs, and appropriate housing assignment based on the nature of the offense, sentence length, and institutional...
Read moreSubject: Commissary
Not normally. If you are in federal, you cannot. If you are going to state, it depends on which but most do not permit pre-ordering. You can always set up your money beforehand if you have an ID number and shop the day you are eligible.
