Prison Commissary List: What Your Loved One Can Buy

A prison commissary list is the menu of items your loved one can buy with money in their account. Most lists include food, hygiene products, stamps and writing supplies, clothing, small electronics and over-the-counter medicine. Lists are different at every facility, and sometimes even between housing units in the same prison. Below, we walk through what is typically sold, using real lists published by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Pennsylvania and Washington.

Lists vary by facility

There is no national commissary list. Each prison system, and often each facility, sets its own.

• Washington State DOC posts separate lists for each prison, plus different lists for maximum security, inpatient units and other housing.
• The Texas Department of Criminal Justice says its unit commissaries carry over 700 items. Its eCommDirect online program, where family can order for a loved one, offers up to 100 top-selling items.
• Washington DOC also notes that people in higher-security housing have fewer items to choose from.

Prices change, too. The FCI Milan and Pennsylvania lists both say prices may change without notice. Always check the most recent list for your loved one's facility. To learn how ordering works, see how prison commissary works.

Food and drinks

Food is the biggest part of most lists. A Prison Policy Initiative study of three states found that ready-to-eat food, snacks and drinks were the top spending categories. Common items include:

• Instant noodles and soups. The Pennsylvania list (dated April 4, 2025) prices a 3 oz chicken ramen at $0.39. Washington's Coyote Ridge list (updated November 1, 2026) sells single ramen for $0.31.
• Chips and snacks. FCI Milan's list (dated December 2024) includes plain chips, tortilla chips and pork rinds.
• Packaged fish. All three lists sell tuna and mackerel. Pennsylvania prices light tuna at $1.20 and mackerel fillets at $1.13.
• Coffee. FCI Milan's list includes several brands, including Maxwell House at $3.95.

See our guide to prison commissary food for more.

Hygiene and personal care

Soap, toothpaste and deodorant show up on every list we reviewed.

• The Coyote Ridge list sells a 3 oz soap for $0.43 and a 1.6 oz deodorant for $0.82.
• The Pennsylvania list includes Dial antibacterial soap at $1.49 and Colgate toothpaste with baking soda at $3.27.
• FCI Milan's list includes Dove soap, Colgate toothpaste and Degree deodorant.

Many prisons give out some basic hygiene items, but people often buy more or different products at commissary.

Stamps, envelopes and writing supplies

Letters are a lifeline, so postage matters.

• FCI Milan's list sells Forever stamps in sets of 5 ($3.65) and sets of 20 ($14.60).
• Pennsylvania's list sells a Forever stamped envelope for $0.76.
• Coyote Ridge's list sells a 9x12 envelope for $0.25. It also notes that postage counts toward its spending limit.

Clothing, shoes and electronics

Clothing and shoes

Many commissaries sell clothing beyond what the prison issues.

• FCI Milan's list includes sweatpants ($22.10), sweatshirts ($18.85), T-shirts and work boots ($99.95).
• Pennsylvania's list includes brown T-shirts ($5.23) and sweatshirts ($16.24).

Clothing rules can be strict. Some systems limit how many personal clothing items a person can own.

Radios, tablets and more

Electronics are among the most expensive items on a list. Prices on the lists below range from about $10 to $225.

• Pennsylvania (April 4, 2025): a refurbished 8-inch tablet with charger and earbuds ($80.00), an AM/FM radio ($13.50), folding headphones ($21.95), a 19-inch clear TV ($225.00) and a 6-inch clear table fan ($10.62).
• FCI Milan (December 2024): a radio ($48.95), a Timex watch ($20.95), headphones ($35.10) and earbuds ($9.95).

Several of the Pennsylvania electronics are clear models, and many items carry quantity limits. Not every facility sells electronics, so check the list first.

Over-the-counter medicine

Commissary often carries basic medicine people would buy at a drugstore.

• FCI Milan's list includes acetaminophen ($2.20), ibuprofen ($2.40), naproxen, allergy pills and heartburn relief.
• Pennsylvania's list includes extra-strength non-aspirin pain reliever and ibuprofen.
• Coyote Ridge's list includes cough drops and chest rub.

In federal prisons, over-the-counter medicine does not count toward the monthly spending limit, according to BOP policy. Read more about commissary spending limits.

Purchase limits on the list

Most lists also cap how much of an item can be bought.

• Coyote Ridge's list shows limits like "1/Order" or "1/Year" and a $125 spending limit.
• Pennsylvania's list says orders can't go over the limits for each category or item.
• FCI Milan's list sets a validation limit of $180 twice a month.

Some items also carry tax. Pennsylvania's list uses an asterisk to mark items where taxes may apply, and the Coyote Ridge list shows an 8.5% tax rate.

If your loved one asks for something specific, it helps to check the list together first. For ideas on what to send, see prison care packages and prison commissary prices.