The Prison Commissary: The Truth Behind What it is And How it Works

Pure Writing
Pure Writing, Yahoo! Contributor Network
Mar 17, 2008 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."
By now you are probably wondering what is prison commissary? I am here to inform you what it really is. This article will only take a few minutes out of your busy schedule. All this information is true; I witnessed this in person.

Prison commissary is considered a privilege in the prison environment. As an inmate you can keep your commissary, as long as you maintain good behavior. But, as soon as you start getting into trouble of any kind, or a lot of write-ups, which are written reports, they can take your commissary from you. For weeks at a time, depending on the offense, and after you have eaten the food at some Prison Units for a long time, the commissary comes in handy.

Commissary in prison is like a store that prisoners can shop at. You are required to have funds on your photo-like-credit-card-ID. Many prisons are different, but the one I worked at, the prisoners had to line up in a single file line, and get what they wanted from the commissary window. The blocks are usually called one at a time, and during this time the prisoners are very excited to go to the commissary window.

The items that can be bought at the commissary, is a lot of products, and food items we can buy at the dollar store. The items include the following: razors, soap, shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, pens, pencils, stamps, coloring pencils, pencil sharpeners, T-shirts, boxers, socks, deodorant, plastic spoons, plastic bowls, tuna-fish, Ramen Noodles, dried beans, jalapeno peppers in a can, chips, ice-cream, and many other items, the list just keeps on going.

These items in prison may not seem much, but they are required to survive in prison. Because, the food the prison serves gets very boring, and the prisoners like to taste something different. Not all prisoners are fortunate of shopping at the Commissary Store, but some have to survive without that luxury. The food at some units is very dull in flavor, I know that from experience. Because, the prisoners at my first unit I worked at did not complain very much of the food. But, the second unit I worked at the food was awful, and the prisoners complained everyday of the food, "believe me I used to eat the same food."

I wrote this article with all my respect to all the prisoners, and staff of prisons across the United States of America. Please leave comments on my work, so I can get more ideas for some more "Pure Writing."

Published by Pure Writing

HI ! GUYS THIS IS PURE WRITING, AND THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, IM A WRITER WHO LIKES TO WRITE AND I LOVE THE WORLD AND WORLD PEACE.  View profile

8 Comments

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  • Sassy12/10/2010

    This article was very helpful and exactly what I was looking for.
    Thank you.

  • Junior5/22/2010

    so true. i was in a georgia penn and while others couldn't go to the comissary some of them chose to take your items either by force or break into your locker. The comissary was everything needed to live in luxury and to buy drugs, sex, weapons or services. The comissary is crazy people. Thanks for the article....it was all truthfull.

  • Pure Writing3/12/2009

    thanks for the comment Alexis i agree with if these guys would be given good refinery or plant jobs they would not be out there selling drugs, you know what i'm writing an article about that.peace.

  • ALEXIS3/11/2009

    HEY GUYS I'M SHOWIN ALL MY SOULJAS MUH LUV
    MY SYMPOTHY GOES OUTT DA ALL YAH LOKED HIN THEM WALLS FOR DRUGZ DAMN FREE THA DRUG DEALERS THEN AINT HURTN ANYBODY THEY ONLY DOIN WHAT THE ECONMY SHOWED THEM TO DO,,,,

    MUCH LOVE GOES OUT

    ONE LOVE
    ALEXIS

  • Pure Writing2/22/2009

    THANKS FOR THE COMMENT OLDSCHOOL I WAS AN CORRECTION OFFICER FOR FIVE YEARS.PEACE.

  • Pure Writing9/10/2008

    Thanks "Riverside" for the comment, I myself as a ex-prison guard knows what the inmates go through to survive, I've seen the inmates trade their lunch tray to fasten for lunch, so they can have that extra toilet paper they need, or shampoo, it's sad, I think these things should be provided plenty of, and the food at all units should be eatable, not that turkey stuff they provide, they should make the lunches like school lunches in grade school, the lunches in grade school are bad, but are way better than unit foods, like in private units, and state units, and stay tuned "Riverside" for another article about this subject on food in prison.peace.

  • Riverside9/10/2008

    The thing about prison commissary is that it is a need. So many women dont have the .25 cents it cost to buy soap or toilet tissue. They say that commissary is a "treat" well it wasnt when I was in prison. You have to buy all your personal stuff... soap, tissue, razors, etc. nothing is free. Th food at the units are ok.. Depends who the kitchen boss is. Its sad to see women in prison for protecting themselves and they smell like they havent taken a bath in a week because they cant afford the soap. But if you give someone a bar of soap YOUR commissary priviliges wil be taken away... so what do you do.... You can spend $75 every two week. But when you have to buy rolls of toilet tissue from commissart because the unit hasnt had none in months the money goes fast. You have to buy stamps, envelopes, paper and pens. Now all this stuff on commissary is the dollar store stuff but in prison you pay 3 times as much

  • Pure Writing3/19/2008

    Thanks "Write On" I really appreciate the support.laterz.

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