What Orange is the New Black Reveals About Commissaries

“The institution is our customer, not the prisoner.”

I still haven’t had a chance to watch Orange is the New Black on Netflix yet (waiting for that Labor Day binge), but I’ve read a few pieces about the show, including Adam Davidson’s piece in the Times Magazine about how prison commissaries work, and the difficulty Piper Kerman has when trying to buy simple things like shower shoes and a radio.

The quote above is from Ken Johnson, the director of operations at the Trinity Services Group, which provides services for more than 70,000 inmates. Despite selling products such as bendable toothbrushes (that can’t be fashioned into weapons) to prisoners, commissary service providers cater to whatever correctional facilities say that want. Davidson compares this arrangement to employer provided 401(k)s — though employees will be investing their money into the accounts, employers are the ones who choose which company (i.e. Vanguard, Fidelity, Sharebuilder, Charles Schwab) will be offering the plans.

Davidson also mentions that commissaries don’t like to sell fresh fruit to prisoners, because the fruit is often used make pruno — prison wine — that some people say tastes like vomit and has alcohol content ranging from 3 percent to 14 percent. Desperate times, as they say.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.