Prison Phone & Commissary Charges

For people behind bars, a phone call or a snack from the commissary is more than convenience—it’s a lifeline. Phone calls keep families connected, children reassured, and reentry hopes alive. Commissary access provides basic necessities that prisons often fail to supply adequately: soap, toothpaste, stationery, or food beyond meager cafeteria meals. But in America’s prison system, these lifelines come at a crushing price. Prison phone rates can run $3–$15 for a 15-minute call, plus hidden fees for account deposits. Commissary goods—instant noodles, deodorant, envelopes—are sold at markups of 50–100%. Families on the outside shoulder these costs, often sacrificing rent, groceries, or utilities to keep loved ones connected. The result is a system where connection is commodified, rehabilitation undermined, and punishment extends far beyond prison walls. This article examines how prison phone and commissary systems operate, who profits, and why reform remains urgent.

The Economics of Prison Phones

For decades, prisons and jails have outsourced phone services to private companies. Two corporations—Securus Technologies and Global Tel*Link (GTL)—dominate the market, holding contracts with thousands of facilities.

The contracts typically work like this:

Exclusive agreements. One company gains the monopoly to provide calls in a facility.

Kickbacks. Companies pay “commission” payments—often 40–60% of revenue—back to the jail or prison system.

High rates. To cover commissions and profit, companies charge inflated per-minute fees.

Families pay not just for calls but for account set-up, funding, and maintenance, with hidden fees inflating costs by as much as 40%.

Commissary Systems

Prison commissaries function like small convenience stores. Inmates can purchase snacks, hygiene items, and small comforts. But prices are inflated: Ramen noodles. 30–50 cents outside, up to $1.00 inside.

Soap. A dollar or two higher than retail.

Stamps. Sold above face value.

Private contractors like Keefe Group and Trinity Services Group dominate commissary operations, often in exclusive contracts similar to phone services. Again, facilities earn commissions on sales, incentivizing high prices.

The Human Cost

Phone and commissary charges burden not inmates alone but their families, particularly low-income households:

Mothers and grandmothers often cover costs, diverting money from essentials.

Children suffer when parents cannot afford regular calls. Research shows family contact reduces recidivism, yet cost creates barriers.

Inmates reliant on commissary for basic hygiene face stigma and health issues when they cannot afford items.

A 2015 study found that families spend an average of $13,000 annually on prison-related expenses, much of it on phones and commissary.

Case Studies: Paying for Connection

The Mother’s Choice. In New York, a mother of three spent $200 a month on calls with her incarcerated son, often skipping utility payments to afford them.

The Commissary Cart. In Texas, a man incarcerated for five years paid double retail for toothpaste and envelopes. His family described the expense as “like paying rent for prison.”

The Child’s Voice. A nine-year-old in Florida could speak to his father only once a week because his grandmother, on Social Security, could not afford more frequent calls.

These stories illustrate how profit-driven systems punish not only inmates but also families already struggling.

The Profit Machine

Prison phone and commissary systems are multibillion-dollar industries. Key features:

Monopolies. Inmates have no choice of provider.

Commissions. Facilities profit from every call or commissary purchase.

Private equity. Phone and commissary giants are owned by investment firms seeking high returns.

This profit model treats incarcerated people not as citizens but as captive markets.

Legal and Policy Challenges

Attempts at reform have faced resistance:

FCC intervention. The Federal Communications Commission capped interstate prison call rates at 21 cents per minute in 2013. But courts struck down caps on in-state calls, where most traffic occurs.

State reforms. Some states, like Connecticut and California, now provide free prison calls. New York City offers free jail calls.

Commissary regulation. Few states cap commissary prices. Most allow contractors to set prices freely.

Industry lobbying remains fierce, protecting high rates under the guise of “covering costs.”

Racial and Economic Dimensions

Because incarceration disproportionately affects Black and Latino communities, the burden of prison phone and commissary charges falls heavily on these groups. Families already disadvantaged by structural inequality face additional financial extraction, deepening poverty and perpetuating cycles of incarceration.

The Contradiction: Rehabilitation vs. Profit

Research is clear: family contact reduces recidivism, improves reentry outcomes, and strengthens communities. Yet high phone costs discourage communication. Similarly, commissary access can improve inmate morale and reduce tension, but inflated prices breed resentment. In prioritizing revenue over rehabilitation, the system undermines its stated goals.

Reform Movements

Advocates push for sweeping changes:

Free prison calls. Shift costs from families to state budgets.

Cap commissary markups. Limit prices to retail or modest margins.

Ban commissions. Remove revenue-sharing incentives that inflate costs.

Expand oversight. Subject prison contracts to transparency and public bidding.

Federal legislation. Reauthorize FCC authority to cap all prison phone rates.

Progress is uneven, but momentum is building as public awareness grows.

The Broader Lesson

Prison phone and commissary systems reveal how punishment extends beyond prison walls. Families—especially women and children—are forced to subsidize the system through inflated fees, turning love and connection into profit streams.

Bottom Line

Connection should not be a luxury. Yet for incarcerated people and their families, the basic act of staying in touch or buying soap comes at exploitative cost. Until reforms eliminate profiteering from communication and necessities, prisons will continue to punish not just those inside but the families struggling to support them.

Glossary

Prison phone contract. An exclusive agreement between prisons and telecom providers granting monopoly control over inmate calls.
Commission (kickback). Revenue-sharing arrangement where providers return a percentage of call or commissary revenue to facilities.
Commissary. A store inside correctional facilities where inmates purchase goods, often at inflated prices.
Securus Technologies / Global Tel*Link (GTL). The two largest prison telecom providers in the U.S.
Starter-interrupt device. Technology used in some BHPH car lots, not in prisons—but similar in creating captive consumers.
FCC cap. Federal Communications Commission rule capping interstate prison call rates, currently limited in scope.