The Commissary Con: How Georgia Prisons Exploit Inmates and Families

Ramen noodles marked up 102%. Deodorant marked up 128%. Families forced to choose between supporting inmates and paying their own bills. Georgia’s prison commissary system extracts money from the poorest families in the state. Markups reach 40-128% above retail prices with no oversight, no regulation, and no accountability. Profits disappear—no one knows where they go. The commissary isn’t a service; it’s exploitation. ¹

The Price of Necessities

Prison commissary prices exploit captive markets:

• Ramen: $0.79—retail $0.39, 102% markup
• Deodorant: $4.52—retail $1.98, 128% markup
• Hydrocortisone cream: 45% markup—for medical necessities
• 25% price increase since pandemic—nationwide trend

Inmates can’t shop elsewhere. Families can’t refuse. The system extracts maximum profit from people with no alternatives.

Who Pays

Families bear the burden:

• Deposit fees—charged to add money to accounts
• Medical copays—additional costs beyond commissary
• Communication fees—separate exploitation system
• Impossible choices—support inmates or pay rent

The families least able to afford it subsidize a profit system with no transparency.

No Oversight

The commissary operates without accountability:

• No price caps—vendors charge whatever they want
• No profit transparency—families can’t see where money goes
• No public reporting—commissary finances hidden
• No regulation—GDC and vendors operate unchecked

“Whether it is a private, external contractor or a state-run contractor, there is still a profit model built in,” notes the Fines and Fees Justice Center.

What Reform Looks Like

California’s BASIC Act provides a model:

• 35% markup cap—reasonable limits on pricing
• Public reporting—families can see where money goes
• Profit reinvestment—funds support inmate programs
• Regular audits—independent verification of finances

“When the prices went down, guys were able to exhale,” reports one California inmate. Georgia families deserve the same relief.

Take Action

Use Impact Justice AI to send advocacy emails demanding commissary reform in Georgia. The free tool crafts personalized messages to Georgia lawmakers—no experience required.

Demand:

• Price caps on commissary items
• Transparent profit reporting
• Reinvestment of profits into inmate programs
• Independent audits of commissary operations

Further Reading

• The Cost of Communication: Families Paying the Price
• Blood Money: How Georgia’s Prison Economy Thrives on Human Suffering
• 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.

1. GPS Statistics, https://gps.press/gdc-statistics/[↩]