How money works in prison? Do you have your own bank account?
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This really differs county to county… And prison to prison
Somewhere prisoners have their money and can work/buy stuff…
More harsh prisons don’t have currency, so they usually use something else as payment… Usually cigarettes or ramen noodles… (They are really good as money.. durable, fungible and good size)
If you are talking about how you buy things “legally” with in a prison, it varies but most in the USA at least you do have an account. You can work in the prison to earn money, someone on the outside can put money in your account or you can transfer money from an outside account to your prison account. This is the only legal way to buy things in the prison. As far as “illegal”, different prisons have different forms of currency (canteen items or something).
In the US:
Each person in prison gets a “prison account” that holds money that they can spend on items from the “prison store” called the commissary. Phone calls, tablet use (they get tablets but no networking) etc. are paid for using funds out of these accounts. Friends and family members can make cash deposits into those accounts.
EDIT: If you have a job in prison, your pay is directly deposited into these accounts. I’m not sure if there’s a way to send money to family FROM prison, but at least in the US, that would probably never happen because pay in US prisons is so much lower than even the US minimum wage (can be lower than $1/hour in many states).
There is no “legitimate currency” traded in prison. All legitimate transactions are handled through “inmate accounts.”
Now, there generally tend to be “black markets” and everyday food items (or cigarettes if you’re in a prison where they still allow smoking) are used as currency. In the early 2000s, honey buns and packets of instant coffee were used as “currency” in exchanges in Pennsylvania prisons.
I cannot speak for countries other than the United States, and I’m guessing the federal prison system works the same way. (In the US, there are at least 51 criminal justice systems — the federal CJS, and each state has it’s own CJS. I say “at least” because Tribal lands and US Protectorates also have their own CJS).
EDIT: See also u/SpoonFed_1 ‘s comment – they state they served in a Texas (US) prison.
>Do you have your own bank account?
Essentially, yes, that’s basically it. I think you’re looking for “prison commissary accounts”.
I was in a Texas prison.
You are given an account. Since Texas does not pay its prisoners for work, all money to that account comes from the outside.
There is a limit to how much someone can put on your account before it gets flagged, and an investigation takes place. I believe it’s around 250 or so. If someone puts $4000 in one shot, your account will be frozen until they determine that no foul play was involved.
Not just anyone can add money to your account. They have to be screened beforehand by the Texas Prison official. You basically have to be on the inmates visitation list to be able to put money on their commissary account also know an their “books”. So you will hear people say “My brother/sister/mother put money on my books.”.
So you have an account with the prison. Every two weeks or so, you go to commissary( store inside the prison). Commissary has chips, sodas, ramen soups, cookies, toothpaste, soap etc.
You make a commissary list, which is a list made on a special form. You give the commissary this list with your prison ID card, (which everyone has and must keep with them at all times) and they will look it up on the computer to make sure you have money on your commissary account.
Then they will give you the items, deduct them from your commissary account, and you are on your way back to your cell.
Hope that helps.
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