GPS RESEARCH LIBRARY: Georgia’s Prison Commissary Extraction Machine ============================================================ Georgia Prisoners' Speak — gps.press Generated: 2026-03-04 02:26:49 EST Research Date: 2025-11-20 Topic: GDC Commissary JSON: https://gps.press/research/georgias-prison-commissary-extraction-machine/?format=json SUMMARY ---------------------------------------- Georgia's prison commissary system systematically extracts an estimated $8-15 million annually from incarcerated people and their families through a coordinated two-tier markup scheme that charges inmates 83 to 1,150 percent above retail prices for essential goods. A detailed analysis of 20 high-volume commissary staples reveals that the state pays vendors inflated "wholesale" prices 22 to 465 percent above legitimate institutional market rates, then applies additional markups of 54 to 323 percent when selling to inmates—creating a machinery designed to extract maximum revenue from a captive population with no purchasing alternatives. The most egregious violations target basic survival and healthcare needs. Generic ibuprofen represents the clearest abuse: inmates pay $4.00 for 20-24 tablets while the same quantity costs $0.02 per tablet at Walmart—a 975 to 1,076 percent markup over bulk pricing and ten times retail per-tablet cost. On ramen alone, Georgia sells 2.3 million units annually at $0.90 per packet when true institutional wholesale costs $0.20-$0.25; this single item extracts approximately $1.47 million annually from families. Women inmates face a systematic "menstrual tax": paying $3.40-$4.25 per 8-count tampon box versus $1.20 at retail, forcing menstruating women to spend $50-120 annually in excess costs solely because of incarceration. Bar soap, toothbrushes, and basic hygiene items face markups of 575 to 1,812 percent over institutional wholesale pricing. Georgia Commissary Suppliers and Stewart's Distribution—the apparent exclusive vendor—charge prices that defy market explanation. The vendor charges $0.40 per ramen packet when verified restaurant supply wholesale is $0.314 and true institutional wholesale ranges $0.20-$0.25. For ibuprofen, the vendor charges $1.92 for quantities worth $0.34-$0.41 at Costco bulk pricing. Even more troubling, travel toothpaste packets that cost the vendor only $0.13 appear to be free promotional samples sourced from hotels and dental offices—yet inmates are charged $0.55. This suggests deliberate sourcing of near-worthless goods to maximize extraction. Critically, the state has comparative pricing alternatives it refuses to use. Sam's Club sells identical Doritos and Lay's products for $0.60 per bag versus the vendor's $0.73—savings of $127,726 annually on just two items. Legitimate institutional food distributors like US Foods, Sysco, and Gordon Food Service compete aggressively for large contracts with pricing far below Georgia's reported vendor costs. The June 2025 commissary contract renewal represents a critical accountability moment to dismantle this extraction system through competitive procurement, price caps on essential items, free provision of basic hygiene and menstrual products, and mandatory transparency disclosures showing inmates how much they're overcharged compared to retail. STATISTICS (94) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Ramen retail vs. commissary price Georgia charges incarcerated people $0.90 for a 3oz packet of Maruchan ramen that costs $0.15 at Walmart (per-unit in bulk) or $0.31 per packet in a 12-pack at Walmart. Value: 0.90 USD per packet (vs. 0.15 Walmart retail equivalent) Tags: commissary pricing, ramen, markup, food, exploitation Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Generic ibuprofen commissary price Inmates pay $4.00 for 20-24 tablets of generic 200mg ibuprofen that costs $0.40-$0.48 at Walmart retail (calculated from 100-tablet bottles at $2.00). Value: 4.00 USD per 20-24 tablet package (vs. 0.40 Walmart retail equivalent for same quantity) Tags: commissary pricing, ibuprofen, healthcare, markup, exploitation Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Estimated annual extraction on 20 items The commissary system extracts an estimated $3-5 million annually on these 20 items alone from families who have no alternative but to pay. Value: 3-5 million USD annually Tags: commissary pricing, revenue, extraction, annual Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen annual sales volume (single flavor) 2.3 million units of a single ramen flavor are sold annually through Georgia's commissary system. Value: 2300000 units per year Tags: commissary volume, ramen, sales data Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Beef sticks annual sales volume Over 1 million beef sticks (1,062,560 units) are sold annually through Georgia's commissary system. Value: 1062560 units per year Tags: commissary volume, beef sticks, sales data Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen vendor price vs true wholesale Georgia's vendor (Georgia Commissary Suppliers/Stewart's Distribution) charges $0.40 per ramen packet when true institutional wholesale is $0.20-$0.25, representing a 60-100% vendor overcharge. Value: 0.40 USD per packet (vendor price) (vs. 0.20-0.25 true institutional wholesale) Tags: vendor pricing, ramen, wholesale, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen markup: wholesale to inmate The total markup from true wholesale to inmate pricing for ramen is 350% ($0.20 → $0.90). Value: 350 percent markup Tags: commissary pricing, ramen, markup, wholesale Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Water markup over retail Inmates pay $0.59 for a 16.9oz bottle of water versus $0.137 per bottle at Walmart (40-pack), a 331% markup over retail. Value: 331 percent markup over retail Tags: commissary pricing, water, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Protein staple markups over retail Protein staples face 175-257% markups over retail prices in the commissary. Value: 175-257 percent markup over retail Tags: commissary pricing, protein, tuna, peanut butter, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Hygiene items markup over institutional wholesale Basic hygiene items face 267-1,812% markups over institutional bulk pricing. Value: 267-1812 percent markup over institutional wholesale Tags: commissary pricing, hygiene, soap, toothbrush, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ibuprofen vendor price markup over retail The vendor charges Georgia $1.92 for generic ibuprofen (20-24 tablets) worth $0.40-$0.48 at retail—a 380% vendor markup before the state adds another 108% markup to reach $4.00. Value: 380 percent vendor markup over retail Tags: vendor pricing, ibuprofen, healthcare, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ibuprofen markup over Costco bulk pricing Inmates pay $4.00 for generic ibuprofen, representing a 975-1,076% markup over Costco's 1000-tablet bulk pricing ($0.34-$0.41 for equivalent 20-24 tablets). Value: 975-1076 percent markup over Costco bulk (vs. 0.34-0.41 Costco bulk equivalent for 20-24 tablets) Tags: commissary pricing, ibuprofen, Costco, bulk pricing, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ibuprofen per-tablet cost comparison Walmart charges $0.02 per 200mg ibuprofen tablet, while inmates pay $0.167-$0.20 per tablet—ten times retail. Value: 0.167-0.20 USD per tablet (inmate price) (vs. 0.02 Walmart per-tablet cost) Tags: commissary pricing, ibuprofen, per-tablet, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Travel toothpaste vendor cost The vendor pays/charges Georgia $0.13 per 0.15oz toothpaste packet, while legitimate wholesale pricing is $0.28 per packet, suggesting the vendor may obtain promotional samples at no cost or salvage prices. Value: 0.13 USD per packet (vendor cost) (vs. 0.28 legitimate wholesale pricing) Tags: vendor pricing, toothpaste, promotional samples, travel size Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Travel toothpaste sales volume 3,510 units of 0.15oz travel toothpaste packets are sold through Georgia's commissary, generating nearly $2,000 in revenue from packets that may cost nothing to acquire. Value: 3510 units sold Tags: commissary volume, toothpaste, travel size, revenue Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Travel toothpaste markup over vendor cost The 323% markup over vendor cost for travel toothpaste could be infinite if these are free promotional samples. Value: 323 percent markup over vendor cost Tags: commissary pricing, toothpaste, markup, promotional samples Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Bar soap institutional wholesale cost WebstaurantStore sells hotel-grade 0.5-0.8 oz wrapped soap bars in bulk cases for $0.08-$0.14 per bar, while Georgia pays vendors $0.54-$1.24 per bar. Value: 0.08-0.14 USD per bar (institutional wholesale) (vs. 0.54-1.24 Georgia vendor price per bar) Tags: vendor pricing, bar soap, institutional wholesale, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Bar soap markup: wholesale to inmate Inmates pay $1.10-$2.25 for bar soap that costs $0.08-$0.14 at institutional wholesale, representing 575-1,812% markup over institutional wholesale and 13.75-28 times the true wholesale cost. Value: 575-1812 percent markup over institutional wholesale Tags: commissary pricing, bar soap, markup, hygiene, dignity Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Bar soap retail comparison Irish Spring 12-packs at Walmart cost $0.66 per bar, while inmates pay $1.10-$2.25, representing 67-241% more than retail. Value: 67-241 percent markup over Walmart retail Tags: commissary pricing, bar soap, Walmart, retail comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Toothbrush institutional wholesale cost Bulk hygiene suppliers sell individually wrapped manual toothbrushes for $0.15-$0.40 each in cases of 100-1,000. Value: 0.15-0.40 USD per toothbrush (bulk wholesale) Tags: wholesale pricing, toothbrush, hygiene, bulk Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Toothbrush commissary markup Inmates pay $1.10 for a toothbrush that costs $0.15-$0.40 at institutional wholesale (267-550% markup) and $0.47 at Target retail (134% markup). Georgia pays vendors $0.57 per toothbrush. Value: 267-550 percent markup over wholesale Tags: commissary pricing, toothbrush, markup, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Tuna vendor cost exceeds retail Georgia pays vendors $1.07-$1.81 per can of tuna when Sam's Club retail is $0.83-$0.91 per can—the state's 'wholesale' cost is 29-117% more than available retail prices. Value: 1.07-1.81 USD per can (vendor cost) (vs. 0.83-0.91 Sam's Club retail per can) Tags: vendor pricing, tuna, Sam's Club, markup, protein Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Tuna inmate price markup over retail Inmates pay $2.70-$3.20 for canned tuna that costs $0.98 at Walmart, representing 175-227% more than retail and 217-357% more than true institutional wholesale. Value: 175-227 percent markup over Walmart retail (vs. 0.98 Walmart Great Value chunk light tuna) Tags: commissary pricing, tuna, markup, protein Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Peanut butter inmate price vs retail Inmates pay $5.60 per 16-oz jar of peanut butter versus $2.18 for Walmart Great Value brand (157% markup) and $0.99 at Kroger sale prices (466% markup). Value: 5.60 USD per 16oz jar (inmate price) (vs. 2.18 Walmart Great Value retail) Tags: commissary pricing, peanut butter, markup, protein Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Peanut butter vendor cost exceeds retail Georgia pays vendors $2.60 per 16-oz jar of peanut butter, which is at or above retail pricing and 59% above Sam's Club retail ($1.63 per 16-oz equivalent). Value: 2.60 USD per jar (vendor cost) (vs. 1.63 Sam's Club retail equivalent per 16oz) Tags: vendor pricing, peanut butter, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Tampon commissary price vs retail Women inmates pay $3.40-$4.25 for 8-count tampon boxes when Walmart's Equate generic costs $1.20 for 8-count equivalent (183-254% overcharge). Value: 3.40-4.25 USD per 8-count box (inmate price) (vs. 1.20 Walmart Equate generic 8-count equivalent) Tags: commissary pricing, tampons, feminine hygiene, markup, healthcare Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Monthly menstrual cost for incarcerated women Average menstrual cycle requires 18-20 tampons monthly (2-3 boxes), costing women inmates $6.80-$12.75 per month at commissary prices versus $2.40-$3.60 their families could pay at retail. Value: 6.80-12.75 USD per month (commissary) (vs. 2.40-3.60 retail cost per month) Tags: commissary pricing, tampons, menstrual cost, monthly, women Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Annual menstrual tax per woman The annual 'menstrual tax' on incarcerated women is $50-120 per year ($66-92 in excess costs over retail), extracted solely because of incarceration. Value: 50-120 USD per year excess cost Tags: commissary pricing, tampons, menstrual tax, women, annual cost Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Ramen Walmart 12-pack retail price Walmart sells Maruchan ramen in 12-packs for $3.68 ($0.31 per packet). Value: 3.68 USD per 12-pack (vs. 0.31 per packet) Tags: retail pricing, ramen, Walmart, Maruchan Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen Kroger promotional price Kroger runs regular promotions for Maruchan ramen at $0.25 per packet with no coupons required. Value: 0.25 USD per packet Tags: retail pricing, ramen, Kroger, promotional Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen Amazon Subscribe & Save price Amazon Subscribe & Save offers Maruchan ramen 24-packs at $0.47 per packet. Value: 0.47 USD per packet Tags: retail pricing, ramen, Amazon, online Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Ramen Bulkvana wholesale price Restaurant supply distributor Bulkvana charges $0.314 per packet for ramen (publicly verified pricing). Value: 0.314 USD per packet Tags: wholesale pricing, ramen, Bulkvana, restaurant supply Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen Gordon Food Service retail foodservice price Gordon Food Service retail foodservice stores charge $0.69 per ramen packet to restaurant owners, suggesting true distributor-to-restaurant wholesale is $0.20-$0.25. Value: 0.69 USD per packet (GFS retail) (vs. 0.20-0.25 estimated true distributor wholesale) Tags: wholesale pricing, ramen, Gordon Food Service, foodservice Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Ramen institutional pallet/truckload pricing Institutions purchasing ramen at Georgia's volume (2.3 million units, 96,000+ cases) typically pay $0.15-$0.20 per packet at pallet or truckload pricing. Value: 0.15-0.20 USD per packet Tags: wholesale pricing, ramen, institutional, pallet pricing, truckload Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Ramen annual case volume Georgia's annual purchase of 2.3 million ramen units equals 96,000+ cases, qualifying for pallet or truckload pricing from manufacturers. Value: 96000 cases per year (approximate) Tags: purchasing volume, ramen, cases, manufacturer pricing Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Ramen annual overcharge on single flavor On 2.3 million units, excess ramen pricing (over fair pricing) extracts $1,472,000 annually from families on a single ramen flavor. Value: 1472000 USD per year (excess extraction, one flavor) Tags: commissary revenue, ramen, annual overcharge, extraction Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Total ramen overcharge across all varieties Across all ramen varieties, the overcharge likely exceeds $2 million annually. Value: 2 million USD per year (estimated) Tags: commissary revenue, ramen, annual overcharge, all varieties Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Doritos Sam's Club Business pricing Sam's Club sells Doritos Nacho Cheese 1.75 oz bags in 64-count cases for $38.36 ($0.60 per bag). Value: 0.60 USD per bag (Sam's Club) (vs. 0.73 Georgia vendor price per bag) Tags: wholesale pricing, Doritos, Sam's Club, Frito-Lay Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Lay's Sam's Club Business pricing Sam's Club sells Lay's Classic 1.5 oz bags in 64-count cases for $38.36 ($0.60 per bag). Value: 0.60 USD per bag (Sam's Club) (vs. 0.73 Georgia vendor price per bag) Tags: wholesale pricing, Lay's, Sam's Club, Frito-Lay Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Chips vendor price premium over Sam's Club Georgia's vendor charges $0.73 per bag for Doritos and Lay's when Sam's Club Business sells identical products for $0.60—a 22% premium over warehouse club pricing. Value: 22 percent premium over Sam's Club Tags: vendor pricing, Doritos, Lay's, Sam's Club, Frito-Lay, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Doritos annual sales volume 642,787 bags of Doritos are sold annually through Georgia's commissary system. Value: 642787 bags per year Tags: commissary volume, Doritos, sales data Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Lay's annual sales volume 339,721 bags of Lay's are sold annually through Georgia's commissary system. Value: 339721 bags per year Tags: commissary volume, Lay's, sales data Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Doritos annual savings if purchased at Sam's Club Purchasing Doritos at Sam's Club pricing instead of vendor pricing would save $83,562 annually on 642,787 bags. Value: 83562 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, Doritos, Sam's Club, procurement Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Lay's annual savings if purchased at Sam's Club Purchasing Lay's at Sam's Club pricing instead of vendor pricing would save $44,164 annually on 339,721 bags. Value: 44164 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, Lay's, Sam's Club, procurement Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Combined chip savings from Sam's Club purchasing Combined annual savings of $127,726 on just two chip varieties (Doritos and Lay's) by purchasing from Sam's Club instead of through the vendor. Value: 127726 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, chips, Sam's Club, procurement, Doritos, Lay's Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Doritos inmate markup over vendor cost Georgia charges inmates $1.35 for Doritos after paying vendors $0.73, an 85% markup over vendor cost. Value: 85 percent markup over vendor cost Tags: commissary pricing, Doritos, markup, vendor cost Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Lay's inmate markup over vendor cost Georgia charges inmates $1.40 for Lay's after paying vendors $0.73, a 92% markup over vendor cost. Value: 92 percent markup over vendor cost Tags: commissary pricing, Lay's, markup, vendor cost Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Restaurant supply house chip pricing Restaurant supply houses like FoodServiceDirect charge $0.76-$0.86 per bag of chips to foodservice operators. Value: 0.76-0.86 USD per bag (foodservice) Tags: wholesale pricing, chips, FoodServiceDirect, restaurant supply Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Bulk soap suppliers pricing Bulk wholesale hygiene suppliers sell generic bar soap at $0.10-$0.15 per bar in 1,000-piece cases. Value: 0.10-0.15 USD per bar (1,000-piece cases) Tags: wholesale pricing, bar soap, bulk, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Bar soap vendor overcharge factor Georgia pays vendors $0.54-$1.24 per bar of soap, which is 6.75-15.5 times the true institutional wholesale cost of $0.08-$0.14. Value: 6.75-15.5 times institutional wholesale cost Tags: vendor pricing, bar soap, overcharge, institutional wholesale Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Target Dealworthy toothbrush retail price Target's Dealworthy brand sells 2-packs of toothbrushes for $0.94 ($0.47 per brush) at retail. Value: 0.47 USD per brush (Target retail) (vs. 1.10 inmate commissary price) Tags: retail pricing, toothbrush, Target, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Toothbrush vendor cost Georgia pays vendors $0.57 per toothbrush, already 42-280% above institutional wholesale of $0.15-$0.40. Value: 0.57 USD per toothbrush (vendor cost) (vs. 0.15-0.40 institutional wholesale) Tags: vendor pricing, toothbrush, markup, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Toothpaste inmate price at or near retail Inmates pay $2.50-$3.00 for 4-6 oz toothpaste tubes versus $2.50-$2.83 at retail, representing 0-20% markup over retail—demonstrating fair pricing is possible. Value: 0-20 percent markup over retail Tags: commissary pricing, toothpaste, reasonable pricing, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Shampoo inmate price below retail Inmates pay $2.55-$2.60 for 12-18 oz shampoo bottles versus $4.18 retail (18oz), actually falling below retail but still 70-247% above true institutional bulk costs. Value: 2.55-2.60 USD per bottle (inmate price) (vs. 4.18 Walmart retail (18oz)) Tags: commissary pricing, shampoo, below retail, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Hot sauce priced competitively Texas Pete 6oz hot sauce is priced at $1.15-$1.45 in commissary versus $1.48 at Walmart retail, representing -22% to -2% versus retail—proving the system can price fairly. Value: -22 to -2 percent versus Walmart retail (vs. 1.48 Walmart retail) Tags: commissary pricing, hot sauce, fair pricing, Texas Pete Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Beef sticks priced at retail Trail's Best 1oz beef sticks are priced at $1.00 in commissary, matching the low-end retail/convenience store price of $1.00. Value: 1.00 USD per stick (inmate price) (vs. 1.00 low-end retail price) Tags: commissary pricing, beef sticks, Trail's Best, fair pricing Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Peanut butter Sam's Club pricing Sam's Club sells Member's Mark Natural peanut butter in 40-oz containers for $4.06 ($1.63 per 16-oz equivalent). Value: 1.63 USD per 16oz equivalent (Sam's Club) Tags: retail pricing, peanut butter, Sam's Club Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Institutional peanut butter bulk pricing Institutional bulk suppliers sell peanut butter in 28-lb pails and 25-lb tubs at approximately $0.90-$1.20 per pound. Value: 0.90-1.20 USD per pound (institutional bulk) Tags: wholesale pricing, peanut butter, institutional, bulk Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Chronic pain sufferer monthly cost at commissary A chronic pain sufferer taking 3-4 ibuprofen tablets daily would spend $20-27 monthly on pain relief at commissary prices that should cost $2-3 at fair pricing. Value: 20-27 USD per month (commissary) (vs. 2-3 fair pricing monthly cost) Tags: commissary pricing, ibuprofen, chronic pain, monthly cost, healthcare Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Tampon name-brand comparison Name-brand Playtex Sport multipacks at Walmart cost $2.00 per 8-count equivalent—still 70-113% less than commissary prices of $3.40-$4.25. Value: 2.00 USD per 8-count equivalent (Playtex Sport retail) (vs. 3.40-4.25 commissary price) Tags: retail pricing, tampons, Playtex, feminine hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Tampon monthly commissary cost vs retail Average menstrual cycles require 18-20 tampons (2.5 boxes at 8-count). At commissary pricing: $8.50-$10.63 monthly. At retail generic: $3.00 monthly. Value: 8.50-10.63 USD per month (commissary) (vs. 3.00 retail generic monthly cost) Tags: commissary pricing, tampons, monthly cost, women Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Five-year tampon excess cost A woman serving 5 years pays $330-460 more than retail over her sentence just for menstrual products. Value: 330-460 USD excess over retail (5-year sentence) Tags: commissary pricing, tampons, long-term cost, women, sentencing Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Tampon vendor cost The vendor charges Georgia $2.11-$2.40 per 8-count tampon box, within range of retail for name brands but 76-100% above generic retail. Value: 2.11-2.40 USD per 8-count box (vendor cost) Tags: vendor pricing, tampons, feminine hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Vendor overcharge: ramen For ramen, vendor overcharge is 60-100%: vendor charges $0.40 vs. verified wholesale of $0.314 (Bulkvana) and estimated institutional wholesale of $0.20-$0.25. Value: 60-100 percent vendor overcharge Tags: vendor overcharge, ramen, wholesale comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Vendor overcharge: chips For Doritos/Lay's, vendor overcharge is 22-83%: vendor charges $0.73 vs. Sam's Club $0.60 and vending wholesale $0.40-$0.60. Value: 22-83 percent vendor overcharge Tags: vendor overcharge, Doritos, Lay's, Sam's Club, wholesale comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Vendor overcharge: tuna For tuna, vendor overcharge is 29-159%: vendor charges $1.07-$1.81 vs. Sam's Club retail $0.83-$0.91 and institutional wholesale $0.70-$0.85. Value: 29-159 percent vendor overcharge Tags: vendor overcharge, tuna, Sam's Club, wholesale comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Vendor overcharge: ibuprofen For ibuprofen, vendor overcharge is 368-465%: vendor charges $1.92 for 20-24 tablets vs. retail $0.40-$0.48 and Costco bulk $0.34-$0.41. Value: 368-465 percent vendor overcharge Tags: vendor overcharge, ibuprofen, Costco, wholesale comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Vendor overcharge: bar soap For bar soap, vendor overcharge is 385-1,450%: vendor charges $0.54-$1.24 vs. institutional wholesale $0.08-$0.14. Value: 385-1450 percent vendor overcharge Tags: vendor overcharge, bar soap, institutional wholesale comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Sam's Club membership cost vs savings A Sam's Club Business membership costs $50-100 annually but would save $127,726 on just two chip products alone. Value: 50-100 USD annual membership cost (vs. 127726 annual savings on two chip products) Tags: procurement reform, Sam's Club, membership, savings, cost-benefit Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Water annual sales volume 456,922 water bottles are sold annually through Georgia's commissary system. Value: 456922 bottles per year Tags: commissary volume, water, sales data Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Honey bun annual sales volume Approximately 750,000 honey buns are sold annually through Georgia's commissary system. Value: 750000 units per year Tags: commissary volume, honey buns, sales data Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Honey bun vendor cost below standard wholesale Georgia pays vendors $0.95 per honey bun while standard foodservice wholesale is $1.01 per unit. The vendor cost falling 6% below standard wholesale suggests below-market sourcing, likely from liquidation markets. Value: 0.95 USD per unit (vendor cost) (vs. 1.01 standard foodservice wholesale) Tags: vendor pricing, honey buns, liquidation, below wholesale Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Honey bun inmate price Inmates pay $1.65-$1.80 for honey buns. Value: 1.65-1.80 USD per unit (inmate price) Tags: commissary pricing, honey buns Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Bulkvana honey bun liquidation pricing Bulkvana sells honey buns in 16-count cases for $14.24 ($0.89 per bun) with expiration dates of 12/21/2025—just two months from sale date, classic short-dated overstock pricing. Value: 0.89 USD per bun (liquidation) Date: 2025-12-21 Tags: liquidation pricing, honey buns, Bulkvana, near-expiration Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Liquidation suppliers offer 30-75% discounts Liquidation/salvage suppliers offer 30-75% discounts off standard wholesale, with near-expiration products going even lower. Value: 30-75 percent discount off standard wholesale Tags: liquidation, salvage, discounts, wholesale Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Coffee inmate price vs retail Inmates pay $6.35-$7.40 for 3oz coffee (Folgers/Maxwell) versus $2.80 retail equivalent, representing 127-164% markup over retail. Value: 6.35-7.40 USD per 3oz (inmate price) (vs. 2.80 retail equivalent) Tags: commissary pricing, coffee, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Rice inmate price vs retail Inmates pay $3.32-$4.00 for 8oz rice (Minute Rice) versus $1.60 retail equivalent, representing 108-150% markup over retail. Value: 3.32-4.00 USD per 8oz (inmate price) (vs. 1.60 retail equivalent) Tags: commissary pricing, rice, markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Cookies inmate price range Inmates pay $2.40-$4.50 for 10-13oz cookies (Little Debbie) versus $2.97-$3.18 retail, ranging from -24% to +125% versus retail. Value: 2.40-4.50 USD per package (inmate price) (vs. 2.97-3.18 Walmart retail) Tags: commissary pricing, cookies, Little Debbie Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Deodorant pricing complexity Deodorant pricing ranges widely: inmates pay $1.15-$4.30 versus $3.87-$5.16 retail, with some items priced 70% below retail and others 11% above retail. Wholesale markup is 130-388%. Value: 1.15-4.30 USD (inmate price range) (vs. 3.87-5.16 retail price range) Tags: commissary pricing, deodorant, hygiene, variable pricing Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen inmate markup over vendor cost Georgia adds a 125% markup over the vendor price of $0.40 to charge inmates $0.90 for ramen. Value: 125 percent markup over vendor cost Tags: commissary pricing, ramen, institutional markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ibuprofen institutional markup over vendor cost Georgia adds a 108% markup over the vendor cost of $1.92 to charge inmates $4.00 for generic ibuprofen. Value: 108 percent markup over vendor cost Tags: commissary pricing, ibuprofen, institutional markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Annual savings: ramen under fair pricing On 2.3 million ramen units, fair pricing (Model 1) would save families $1,472,000 annually. Value: 1472000 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, ramen, fair pricing, annual Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Annual savings: water under fair pricing On 456,922 water bottles, fair pricing (Model 1) would save families $196,476 annually. Value: 196476 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, water, fair pricing, annual Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Annual savings: Doritos under fair pricing On 642,787 Doritos bags, fair pricing (Model 1) would save families $385,672 annually. Value: 385672 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, Doritos, fair pricing, annual Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Annual savings: Lay's under fair pricing On 339,721 Lay's bags, fair pricing (Model 1) would save families $220,819 annually. Value: 220819 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, Lay's, fair pricing, annual Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Annual savings: beef sticks under fair pricing On 1,062,560 beef sticks, fair pricing (Model 1) would save families $531,280 annually. Value: 531280 USD annual savings Tags: savings potential, beef sticks, fair pricing, annual Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Total annual savings on top 5 items under fair pricing Total annual savings to inmates and families on just 5 high-volume items under fair wholesale-plus-markup pricing: $2,806,247. Value: 2806247 USD annual savings (5 items) Tags: savings potential, fair pricing, annual, total Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Estimated total excess extraction across all commissary Estimated total excess extraction from Georgia inmates and families across all commissary purchases: $8-15 million annually compared to fair pricing models. Value: 8-15 million USD annual excess extraction Tags: total extraction, commissary, annual, excess, fair pricing comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Estimated savings from eliminating vendor and reducing markup Estimated $2-5 million in annual savings on these 20 items alone by eliminating vendor markup and reducing institutional markup to fair levels. Value: 2-5 million USD annual savings (20 items) Tags: savings potential, reform, vendor elimination, fair pricing Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Ramen salvage pricing estimate Near-expiration or overstock ramen from salvage/overstock brokers like Marvell Foods likely costs $0.10-$0.20 per packet. Value: 0.10-0.20 USD per packet (salvage estimate) Tags: salvage pricing, ramen, Marvell Foods, near-expiration Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Water vendor price Georgia pays vendors $0.18 per 16.9oz water bottle versus $0.137 at Walmart (40-pack) and $0.21 at pallet pricing. Value: 0.18 USD per bottle (vendor price) (vs. 0.137 Walmart 40-pack per bottle) Tags: vendor pricing, water, Walmart, comparison Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Institutional shampoo bulk pricing True institutional bulk pricing for shampoo is $0.75-$1.50 per bottle. Value: 0.75-1.50 USD per bottle (institutional bulk) Tags: wholesale pricing, shampoo, institutional, bulk Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Peanut butter institutional markup over vendor After paying vendors $2.60 per jar, Georgia adds another 115% markup to charge inmates $5.60 for peanut butter. Value: 115 percent institutional markup over vendor cost Tags: commissary pricing, peanut butter, institutional markup Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Institutional tuna wholesale pricing Institutional food distributors typically charge $0.70-$0.85 per 5-oz can of tuna in case quantities. Value: 0.70-0.85 USD per 5oz can (institutional wholesale) Tags: wholesale pricing, tuna, institutional, case quantity Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine FINDINGS (22) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] Travel toothpaste may be free promotional samples Georgia charges inmates $0.55 for 0.15-ounce toothpaste packets that appear to be free promotional samples provided to hotels and dental offices. The vendor pays Georgia just $0.13 per packet. Tags: commissary pricing, toothpaste, promotional samples, diversion, hygiene Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Commissary markup range across 20 items Across 20 high-volume commissary staples investigated, inmates and their families face pricing that ranges from competitive with retail (hot sauce) to ten times retail cost (generic ibuprofen), with markups of 83-1,150% above retail prices. Tags: commissary pricing, markup range, exploitation Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Two-tier markup system description Georgia's commissary operates through a two-tier extraction system: First-tier markup is the vendor charging inflated 'wholesale' prices to the state; second-tier markup is the state charging inmates 54-323% more on top of already-inflated vendor costs. Tags: commissary pricing, two-tier markup, extraction system, vendor Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ramen fair pricing calculation If Georgia purchased ramen at true institutional wholesale ($0.20) and added a 30% markup, inmates would pay $0.26. With 50% markup, the price would be $0.30. Instead, inmates pay $0.90. Tags: fair pricing, ramen, markup model Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Chips inmate prices below Walmart single-bag retail Doritos ($1.35) and Lay's ($1.40) inmate prices fall 5-9% below Walmart's single-bag retail price of $1.48, creating an illusion of reasonableness. Tags: commissary pricing, Doritos, Lay's, retail comparison, illusion Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Identical vendor pricing for both Frito-Lay products The identical vendor pricing ($0.73) for both Doritos and Lay's despite different retail pricing structures suggests a standardized wholesale contract or distributor agreement with blanket markups. Tags: vendor pricing, Frito-Lay, contract structure, standardized pricing Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Strategic pricing pattern: visible vs invisible items Items families can easily compare to retail (shampoo, toothpaste) stay closer to retail pricing, while items where institutional wholesale pricing is less visible (soap, toothbrushes) face extreme markups. Tags: pricing strategy, exploitation, visibility, comparison shopping Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Protein pricing pattern is strategic Hot sauce (non-essential condiment) is fairly priced; beef sticks (processed snack protein) are reasonable at $1.00; but peanut butter and tuna (essential protein staples) are marked up 157-227% over retail—identifying what inmates need most and extracting accordingly. Tags: pricing strategy, protein, nutrition, exploitation, essential items Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Systematic vendor overcharging range Georgia pays 22-465% more than legitimate institutional wholesale markets charge similar bulk purchasers, across multiple product categories. Tags: vendor overcharge, systematic, institutional wholesale Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Three explanations for vendor overcharging Three explanations for vendor overcharging: (1) vendor incompetence/poor sourcing, (2) deliberate overcharging with possible kickbacks, (3) fabricated vendor costs to justify inmate pricing. All represent failures of procurement oversight. Tags: vendor overcharge, accountability, procurement, kickbacks, corruption Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Marvell Foods serves prison systems Marvell Foods, a major salvage food broker, explicitly states it serves 'deep discount retail stores, prison system, and institutional entities' and specializes in 'short-coded products, excess inventory, package changes' including products 'expired to 12-month-old inventory.' Tags: liquidation, salvage, Marvell Foods, prison sourcing, near-expiration Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Model 1 fair pricing: ramen Under fair pricing Model 1 (true institutional wholesale + 30% markup), ramen would cost $0.26 versus current $0.90, saving $0.64 per packet. Tags: fair pricing, ramen, reform model, savings Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Model 1 fair pricing: ibuprofen Under fair pricing Model 1, ibuprofen would cost $0.52 versus current $4.00, saving $3.48 per package. Tags: fair pricing, ibuprofen, reform model, savings Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [estimated] Model 1 fair pricing: bar soap Under fair pricing Model 1, bar soap would cost $0.18 versus current $1.68 average, saving $1.50 per bar. Tags: fair pricing, bar soap, reform model, savings Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Institutional food distributor competition Legitimate institutional food service distributors (US Foods, Sysco, Gordon Food Service) compete aggressively for large contracts and offer pricing well below Georgia's reported vendor costs. Tags: procurement, US Foods, Sysco, Gordon Food Service, competition, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Marvell Foods near-expiration product range Marvell Foods deals in products ranging from 'expired to 12-month-old inventory' including short-coded products, excess inventory, and package changes. Tags: liquidation, Marvell Foods, near-expiration, salvage, expired products Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] False baseline justification mechanism Georgia likely justifies inmate pricing by pointing to vendor costs ('We only mark up 50-100% over what we pay vendors'), but this defense collapses when vendor costs themselves are revealed as inflated 22-465% above market rates. Tags: justification, false baseline, vendor costs, accountability, pricing structure Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Peanut butter nutritional importance A 16-oz jar of peanut butter provides roughly 16 servings of protein-rich food. At fair pricing ($1.50-$2.25), inmates could afford protein supplementation. At $5.60, it becomes a luxury item. Tags: nutrition, peanut butter, protein, health impact, affordability Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Near-expiration sourcing ethical concerns Products sourced from liquidation markets may be short-dated or salvage products, but inmates are not informed and pay prices that don't reflect actual acquisition costs. Tags: liquidation, near-expiration, ethics, transparency, product quality Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Exclusive vendor arrangement concern The state appears locked into an exclusive vendor arrangement that costs taxpayers and inmate families millions in unnecessary markups, rather than competitive procurement. Tags: vendor relationship, exclusive contract, procurement, competition, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Ibuprofen is cheapest mass-produced pharmaceutical Generic ibuprofen is described as among the cheapest mass-produced pharmaceuticals in America, with no legitimate market where 20-24 tablets cost $1.92 wholesale. Tags: ibuprofen, pharmaceutical pricing, vendor overcharge Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Peanut butter vendor cost suggests retail purchasing Georgia vendor cost of $2.60 per 16-oz peanut butter jar exceeds Sam's Club retail by 59%, suggesting either inflated invoicing or the vendor is simply purchasing retail products and reselling them. Tags: vendor pricing, peanut butter, inflated invoicing, retail purchasing Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine POLICYS (13) ---------------------------------------- - [reported] States providing free menstrual products Several states now provide free menstrual products to incarcerated women, recognizing them as basic health necessities rather than commissary profit opportunities. Tags: policy reform, tampons, feminine hygiene, free provision, other states Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] June 2025 contract renewal opportunity A June 2025 contract renewal is mentioned as providing opportunity for fundamental commissary pricing reform. Date: 2025-06-01 Tags: contract renewal, reform opportunity, procurement, June 2025 Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommended markup cap: essential healthcare Investigation recommends maximum 10-15% markup over retail for essential healthcare items (pain relievers, feminine hygiene, first aid). Tags: policy recommendation, markup cap, healthcare, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommended markup cap: basic hygiene Investigation recommends maximum 20-25% markup over retail for basic hygiene/dignity items (soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, deodorant). Tags: policy recommendation, markup cap, hygiene, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommended markup cap: food staples Investigation recommends maximum 30-35% markup over true wholesale for food staples (protein sources, meal components). Tags: policy recommendation, markup cap, food, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: free feminine hygiene products Investigation recommends feminine hygiene products should be provided free, following growing state practice of recognizing menstrual products as healthcare necessities rather than commissary profit opportunities. Tags: policy recommendation, feminine hygiene, free provision, reform, menstrual products Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: free basic hygiene items Investigation recommends basic hygiene items (minimal soap, toothbrush, toothpaste) be provided in adequate quantities free, with commissary offering upgraded/preferred brands. Tags: policy recommendation, hygiene, free provision, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: OTC pain relievers at clinic-dispensed levels Investigation recommends over-the-counter pain relievers at clinic-dispensed levels for documented need. Tags: policy recommendation, pain relief, ibuprofen, clinic, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: independent oversight board Investigation recommends establishing commissary pricing oversight board including independent auditors, inmate family advocates, and procurement experts. Tags: policy recommendation, oversight, transparency, reform, accountability Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: commissary profit use restrictions Investigation recommends requiring by law that excess commissary revenues fund educational programs, re-entry services, victim restitution, or inmate welfare funds, and prohibiting use of commissary profits to fund general correctional operations. Tags: policy recommendation, revenue use, reform, education, reentry Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: ban on promotional sample sales Investigation recommends banning sale of promotional samples and travel-sized products clearly intended as free giveaways. Tags: policy recommendation, promotional samples, ban, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: transparent pricing disclosure Investigation recommends posting comparison charts in housing units showing commissary prices versus Walmart retail, and publishing vendor costs and institutional markups separately. Tags: policy recommendation, transparency, pricing disclosure, reform Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [reported] Recommendation: whistleblower protections Investigation recommends implementing whistleblower protections for staff or vendors who report pricing irregularities or pressure to inflate costs. Tags: policy recommendation, whistleblower, reform, accountability Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine METHODOLOGY NOTES (2) ---------------------------------------- - [confirmed] Liquidation suppliers reviewed Investigation reviewed multiple liquidation/salvage suppliers: S&B Provisions (closeouts, overruns, overstock, discontinued items), Select Liquidation (grocery truckloads with Georgia shipping), Continental Wholesale (overstocks and excess inventory), AAA Closeout Liquidators ('below wholesale prices' on all in-date products). Tags: liquidation, salvage, suppliers, methodology, S&B Provisions, Select Liquidation, Continental Wholesale, AAA Closeout Liquidators Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine - [confirmed] Number of items investigated The investigation examined 20 high-volume commissary staples. Tags: methodology, scope, investigation Sources: Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine DATASETS (5) ---------------------------------------- # Georgia Commissary Pricing: 20 Items Comprehensive Comparison Complete pricing comparison across 20 high-volume commissary staples showing Walmart retail, lowest retail, lowest wholesale, Georgia vendor price, Georgia inmate price, and markup percentages. Item Brand/Size Walmart Retail Lowest Retail Lowest Wholesale GA Vendor Price GA Inmate Price Markup: Retail to Inmate Markup: Wholesale to Inmate ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ramen 3oz Maruchan $0.31 (12pk) $0.25 (Kroger) $0.20-$0.25 $0.40 $0.90 260-290% 350% Water 16.9oz Various $0.137 (40pk) $0.137 $0.21 (pallet) $0.18 $0.59 331% 181% Honey Bun 4-6oz Mrs. Freshley's ~$1.50 $0.89 (liquidation) $0.89-$1.01 $0.95 $1.65-$1.80 10-89% 85-102% Doritos 1.75oz Nacho Cheese $1.48 $1.48 $0.60 (Sam's) $0.73 $1.35 -9% vs retail 125% Lay's 1.5oz Classic $1.48 $1.48 $0.60 (Sam's) $0.73 $1.40 -5% vs retail 133% Bar Soap 3-4oz Dial/Irish Spring $0.66 (12pk) $0.66 $0.08-$0.14 $0.54-$1.24 $1.10-$2.25 67-241% 575-1,812% Deodorant 1.5-2oz Generic ~$3.87-$5.16 ~$3.87 $1.50-$2.50 $0.55-$2.42 $1.15-$4.30 -70% to +11% 130-388% Toothpaste 4-6oz Colgate $2.50-$2.83 $2.50 $1.50-$2.50 $1.41-$1.62 $2.50-$3.00 0-20% 100-300% Toothbrush Medium/Soft $1.00-$3.00 $0.47 (2pk) $0.15-$0.40 $0.57 $1.10 134% 267-550% Shampoo 12-18oz White Rain/Suave $4.18 (18oz) $4.18 $0.75-$1.50 $1.05-$1.34 $2.55-$2.60 -39% to -38% 70-247% Travel Toothpaste 0.15oz Colgate N/A (sample) N/A $0.28 (or FREE) $0.13 $0.55 N/A 96% to ∞ Tampons 8ct Playtex/Generic $2.00 (bulk) $1.20 (generic) $1.50-$2.00 $2.11-$2.40 $3.40-$4.25 183-254% 112-183% Ibuprofen 20-24ct Generic 200mg $0.40-$0.48 $0.32 (500ct) $0.34-$0.41 $1.92 $4.00 833-1,150% 975-1,076% Coffee 3oz Folgers/Maxwell $2.80 equiv $2.80 $2.00-$2.50 $2.40-$2.99 $6.35-$7.40 127-164% 154-270% Beef Stick 1oz Trail's Best $1.00-$1.50 $1.00 $0.35-$0.50 $0.53 $1.00 0% 100-186% Hot Sauce 6oz Texas Pete $1.48 $1.48 $1.00-$1.25 $0.63-$0.70 $1.15-$1.45 -22% to -2% -8% to +16% Peanut Butter 16oz Jif/Skippy/Generic $2.18 (generic) $0.99 (sale) $0.90-$1.20 $2.60 $5.60 157-466% 367-522% Rice 8oz Minute Rice $1.60 equiv $1.60 $1.20-$1.50 $1.04-$1.95 $3.32-$4.00 108-150% 121-233% Tuna 3-5oz Chunk Light $0.98 $0.98 $0.70-$0.85 $1.07-$1.81 $2.70-$3.20 175-227% 217-357% Cookies 10-13oz Little Debbie $2.97-$3.18 $2.00 (generic) $1.50-$2.00 $1.10-$2.53 $2.40-$4.50 -24% to +125% 20-200% # Annual Sales Volume by Item Known annual sales volumes for select commissary items in Georgia's prison system. Item Annual Units Sold Inmate Price Est. Annual Revenue ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ramen (single flavor) 2300000 $0.90 $2,070,000 Beef Sticks 1062560 $1.00 $1,062,560 Honey Buns 750000 $1.65-$1.80 $1,237,500-$1,350,000 Doritos 642787 $1.35 $867,762 Water 456922 $0.59 $269,584 Lay's 339721 $1.40 $475,609 Travel Toothpaste 3510 $0.55 $1,931 # Vendor Overcharge Analysis Comparison of Georgia vendor prices to available market wholesale/retail prices, showing vendor overcharge percentage. Item GA Vendor Price Market Reference Price Market Reference Source Vendor Overcharge % ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ramen $0.40 $0.20-$0.25 Institutional wholesale 60-100% Ramen $0.40 $0.314 Bulkvana public pricing 27% Doritos/Lay's $0.73 $0.60 Sam's Club Business 22% Doritos/Lay's $0.73 $0.40-$0.60 Vending wholesale 22-83% Tuna $1.07-$1.81 $0.83-$0.91 Sam's Club retail 29-159% Tuna $1.07-$1.81 $0.70-$0.85 Institutional wholesale 26-159% Ibuprofen 20-24ct $1.92 $0.40-$0.48 Walmart retail equivalent 300-380% Ibuprofen 20-24ct $1.92 $0.34-$0.41 Costco bulk equivalent 368-465% Bar Soap $0.54-$1.24 $0.08-$0.14 Institutional wholesale 385-1,450% Peanut Butter 16oz $2.60 $1.63 Sam's Club equivalent 59% Peanut Butter 16oz $2.60 $0.90-$1.20/lb Institutional bulk ~117-189% # Fair Pricing Model Comparison Comparison of current inmate prices versus three fair pricing models, showing potential per-unit savings. Item Current Price Model 1: Wholesale+30% Model 1 Savings Model 2: Retail+15% Model 2 Savings Model 3: Sams+25% Model 3 Savings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ramen $0.90 $0.26 $0.64 $0.36 $0.54 N/A N/A Ibuprofen $4.00 $0.52 $3.48 $0.55 $3.45 N/A N/A Tuna $2.95 avg $1.11 $1.84 $1.13 $1.82 $1.14 $1.81 Peanut Butter $5.60 $1.56 $4.04 $2.51 $3.09 $2.04 $3.56 Bar Soap $1.68 avg $0.18 $1.50 N/A N/A N/A N/A Water $0.59 N/A N/A $0.16 $0.43 N/A N/A Doritos $1.35 N/A N/A N/A N/A $0.75 $0.60 Lay's $1.40 N/A N/A N/A N/A $0.75 $0.65 # Estimated Annual Savings Under Fair Pricing (Model 1: Wholesale + 30%) Projected annual savings for inmates/families on five high-volume items if fair wholesale-plus-markup pricing were implemented. Item Annual Units Per-Unit Savings Annual Savings ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ramen (single flavor) 2300000 $0.64 $1,472,000 Water 456922 $0.43 $196,476 Doritos 642787 $0.60 $385,672 Lay's 339721 $0.65 $220,819 Beef Sticks 1062560 $0.50 $531,280 KEY ENTITIES (32) ---------------------------------------- - AAA Closeout Liquidators [organization]: Liquidation supplier offering 'below wholesale prices' on all in-date products. - Bulkvana [organization]: Restaurant supply distributor with publicly verified wholesale pricing. Charges $0.314 per ramen packet. Also sells honey buns at liquidation pricing ($0.89/bun) with near-expiration dates. - Colgate [organization]: Toothpaste manufacturer. Both regular 4-6oz tubes ($2.50-$3.00 inmate price) and 0.15oz travel/sample packets ($0.55 inmate price) sold in commissary. - Continental Wholesale [organization]: Supplier dealing in overstocks and excess inventory. - Costco [organization]: Warehouse club retailer used as pricing benchmark for ibuprofen bulk pricing ($0.34-$0.41 for 20-24 tablet equivalent from 1000-tablet bottles). Mentioned as procurement alternative. (aka: Costco Business) - Folgers [organization]: Coffee brand sold in Georgia's commissary, 3oz size at $6.35-$7.40 inmate price. - FoodServiceDirect [organization]: Restaurant supply house that charges $0.76-$0.86 per bag for single-serve chips to foodservice operators. - Frito-Lay [organization]: Snack manufacturer of Doritos and Lay's chips sold through Georgia's commissary. Both products have identical $0.73 vendor pricing, suggesting standardized distributor contract. - Georgia Commissary Suppliers [organization]: Primary vendor/distributor supplying commissary products to Georgia's prison system. Investigation found vendor charges the state inflated 'wholesale' prices that frequently exceed legitimate institutional bulk costs. (aka: Stewart's Distribution) - Georgia Department of Corrections [organization]: State agency operating Georgia's prison commissary system. Investigation found the department pays vendor inflated prices and then adds additional markups of 54-323% for inmates. (aka: GDC) - Georgia Prisoners' Speak [organization]: Journalism organization that conducted the commissary pricing investigation. (aka: GPS) - Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine [operation]: Investigation of 20 high-volume commissary staples revealing systematic two-tier markup scheme. Covers retail, wholesale, vendor, and inmate pricing across food, hygiene, and healthcare categories. (aka: Commissary pricing investigation) - Gordon Food Service [organization]: Major institutional food service distributor. Retail foodservice stores charge $0.69/packet for ramen. Mentioned as competitive alternative for Georgia's procurement. (aka: GFS) - June 2025 Contract Renewal [case]: Upcoming contract renewal for Georgia's commissary vendor, identified as opportunity for fundamental procurement and pricing reform. - Kroger [organization]: Retail grocery chain used as pricing benchmark. Offers ramen at $0.25/packet promotional pricing and peanut butter at $0.99 sale price. - Little Debbie [organization]: Cookie/snack manufacturer whose 10-13oz products are sold in commissary at $2.40-$4.50. - Maruchan [organization]: Ramen noodle manufacturer. Their 3oz instant ramen packets are the highest-volume commissary item, with 2.3 million units of a single flavor sold annually. - Marvell Foods [organization]: Major salvage food broker that explicitly lists 'prison system' among its client base. Specializes in short-coded products, excess inventory, package changes, including products 'expired to 12-month-old inventory.' - Maxwell House [organization]: Coffee brand sold in Georgia's commissary, 3oz size at $6.35-$7.40 inmate price. (aka: Maxwell) - Minute Rice [organization]: Rice brand sold in Georgia's commissary, 8oz at $3.32-$4.00 inmate price. - Mrs. Freshley's [organization]: Honey bun manufacturer whose products are sold through Georgia's commissary system. - Playtex [organization]: Tampon manufacturer. Name-brand Sport multipacks at Walmart cost $2.00 per 8-count equivalent versus $3.40-$4.25 in commissary. (aka: Playtex Sport) - S&B Provisions [organization]: Liquidation/salvage supplier dealing in closeouts, overruns, overstock, and discontinued items. - Sam's Club [organization]: Warehouse club retailer used as pricing benchmark in the investigation. Offers Doritos and Lay's at $0.60/bag in 64-count cases, tuna at $0.83-$0.91/can, and peanut butter at $1.63/16oz equivalent. (aka: Sam's Club Business) - Select Liquidation [organization]: Liquidation supplier offering grocery truckloads of overstock and shelf pulls with Georgia shipping. - Sysco [organization]: Major institutional food service distributor mentioned as competitive alternative for Georgia's commissary procurement. - Target [organization]: Retail chain used as pricing benchmark. Dealworthy brand 2-pack toothbrushes at $0.94 ($0.47/brush). - Texas Pete [organization]: Hot sauce brand sold in Georgia's commissary at $1.15-$1.45 for 6oz bottles—one of few items priced competitively with retail ($1.48). - Trail's Best [organization]: Brand of 1oz beef sticks sold through Georgia's commissary at $1.00 each, with over 1 million units sold annually. - US Foods [organization]: Major institutional food service distributor mentioned as competitive alternative for Georgia's commissary procurement. - Walmart [organization]: Primary retail pricing benchmark used throughout investigation for establishing baseline consumer prices across all 20 items. - WebstaurantStore [organization]: Online restaurant supply retailer used as pricing benchmark. Sells hotel-grade wrapped soap bars at $0.08-$0.14 per bar in bulk cases. SOURCES (1) ---------------------------------------- - Georgia's Prison Commissary Extraction Machine, Georgia Prisoners' Speak [gps_original, primary]