Deodorant: $4.84 in prison, $1.98 at retail—145% markup. Inmates earn $180-$660 annually, spend over $1,000 on necessities. Georgia’s prison commissary system extracts money from the poorest families in the state. Inmates can’t shop elsewhere. Families can’t refuse. Private contractors like Keefe and CoreCivic report 9% profit margins on captive markets with no competition. Over $1.6 billion in annual U.S. commissary sales flows from low-income families to private corporations. The commissary isn’t a service—it’s exploitation. 1
The Price Difference
Commissary vs. retail prices:
- Deodorant—$4.84 vs. $1.98 retail (145% markup)
- Seasoning—2-3x retail prices
- Hygiene products—consistently inflated
- Food items—captive market pricing
Inmates working prison jobs may need several days’ wages for a single item. With annual earnings of $180-$660, the math doesn’t work.
Family Burden
Families cover the gap:
- $1,000+ annual spending—per inmate in some states
- $1.6 billion total—U.S. commissary sales annually
- Low-income families—disproportionately affected
- Impossible choices—support inmates or pay bills
This system transfers wealth from families who can’t afford it to corporations that don’t need it. 2
Profit Without Oversight
The system operates unchecked:
- No price caps—vendors charge whatever markets bear
- No competition—legal monopolies
- Minimal operational costs—captive customer base
- 9% profit margins—reported by major contractors
Georgia’s Department of Corrections is reviewing commissary proposals, but without mandatory price limits, exploitation continues.
Take Action
Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding commissary price reform in Georgia. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.
Demand:
- Cap markups at 10% above wholesale
- Mandatory public profit reporting
- Independent audits of commissary operations
- Multiple vendor competition
Further Reading
- Prison Commissary: How Families Pay the Price for Overpriced Essentials
- The Cost of Communication: Families Paying the Price
- GPS Informational Resources
- Pathways to Success
About Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS)
Georgia Prisoners’ Speak (GPS) is a nonprofit investigative newsroom built in partnership with incarcerated reporters, families, advocates, and data analysts. Operating independently from the Georgia Department of Corrections, GPS documents the truth the state refuses to acknowledge: extreme violence, fatal medical neglect, gang-controlled dorms, collapsed staffing, fraudulent reporting practices, and unconstitutional conditions across Georgia’s prisons.
Through confidential reporting channels, secure communication, evidence verification, public-records requests, legislative research, and professional investigative standards, GPS provides the transparency the system lacks. Our mission is to expose abuses, protect incarcerated people, support families, and push Georgia toward meaningful reform based on human rights, evidence, and public accountability.
Every article is part of a larger fight — to end the silence, reveal the truth, and demand justice.
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