Glossary
What is Commissary?
The store inside a jail or prison where incarcerated people buy food, hygiene items and other goods using money in their account.
Commissary is the store inside a jail or prison. Your loved one uses it to buy things the facility does not provide, such as snacks, hygiene products, stationery, clothing and some electronics. Purchases are paid from the money in their account.
Most commissary spending is believed to come from money families send. A 2018 Prison Policy Initiative study of three states found average yearly commissary sales of about $947 per person, with food and drinks as the biggest category.
Each facility sets its own item list, ordering schedule and spending limits. Check with the facility for current rules.
Read more
- How Does Prison Commissary Work? A Plain-English Guide for Families
- Prison Commissary List: What Your Loved One Can Buy
- Prison Commissary Food: What People Eat and Why It Matters