Price Gouging in Prisons

A new investigation by The Appeal brings to light what many criminal defense practitioners have known for years, price gouging in prison commissaries allows companies and prisons to prioritize financial gains at the expense of incarcerated individuals and their families. The Appeal’s data-driven investigation demonstrates the extent that common necessities in prisons such as fans, denture adhesives, hearing aid batteries, and reading glasses are marked up by as much as 20-30%, or more, in prison, as compared to the item’s retail value outside of prison.  For example, in Vermont prisons, a basic pair of reading glasses can cost $15.00, while a three-pack of reading glasses sells for $10.00-$17.00 in the community. The Appeal also investigated the disproportionality between pay scales in prison and commissary prices, determining that a person incarcerated in Virginia would have to earn 3 hours of prison wages to buy a Christmas card from commissary. Price gouging is becoming an increasingly critical issue as more prisons are relying on detainees to buy their own over the counter medications, hygiene times, and other medical necessities.