Wondering what an inmate can buy in the commissary? This guide covers food, hygiene, clothing, electronics, and how to fund their account.
The commissary is one of the most meaningful lifelines inside a jail or prison, and for families on the outside, understanding how it works makes the difference between a loved one who struggles and one who manages. Families often ask what can an inmate buy in the commissary — and the honest answer is: more than most people expect, but with real limitations that vary by facility, housing unit, and the balance available on the account.
Food and Snacks: The Most-Requested Category
Food is consistently the most popular category on any commissary list. The meals served in county jails and state facilities meet minimum nutritional standards, but they rarely satisfy, and many people inside supplement with commissary purchases to feel more like themselves.
Common options include instant soups, ramen-style noodles, peanut butter, crackers, hard candy, cookies, and flavored drink mixes. Some facilities stock seasoning packets, hot sauce, and squeeze cheese, which are highly valued because institutional food tends to be bland and portioned conservatively.
Protein sources — tuna pouches, beef jerky, and sardines — appear on many lists and are particularly sought after by people who work physical jobs inside the facility or who are trying to maintain muscle mass. These items also serve as informal currency in some housing units, so families should know that what they deposit may be traded or shared.
The food available shifts based on contracts the facility holds with its commissary vendor. Facilities typically partner with vendors like Keefe Group, Aramark, or similar providers, and the item selection reflects that vendor's catalog. Families who want to know exactly what is available should call the facility directly or check the vendor's inmate-ordering portal.
Hygiene Products: Basics and Upgrades
Every facility provides some level of hygiene basics on intake — a toothbrush, small soap bar, and sometimes a comb. What is provided is genuinely minimal, and the quality is far below what most people are accustomed to. The commissary exists partly to let people supplement those basics.
Deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, razors, and feminine hygiene products are standard on most commissary lists. Brands vary by vendor, but recognizable options are common. Dental floss, mouthwash, and better-quality toothpaste are also frequently available and represent a significant quality-of-life improvement over what is issued.
Skin care matters more than many families anticipate. Facilities can be dry environments with harsh lighting, and people who manage conditions like eczema or very dry skin often rely on commissary lotion. Some facilities stock medicated lip balm, antifungal cream, and similar over-the-counter treatments, though the availability of those items is facility-specific.
Hair care products vary significantly. Facilities with a diverse population often stock a wider range of products to serve different hair types, but this is not universal. If a loved one has a specific need, calling the facility to ask what is available before making a deposit is a practical step that can prevent disappointment.
Clothing and Footwear
Jail-issued clothing covers the basics, but fit and comfort are another story. Commissary clothing items give people inside a degree of personal comfort and, in some climates, genuine warmth. Thermal underwear, socks, and t-shirts are among the most practical purchases on any commissary list.
Many facilities allow the purchase of shower shoes, which are important for hygiene in shared bathroom environments. Good-fitting socks and supportive sneakers, where permitted, reduce physical discomfort during the long hours spent on concrete floors. These items are not luxuries — they have a real impact on day-to-day wellbeing.
The clothing allowed on commissary is always subject to facility rules. Colors are restricted in many facilities to avoid confusion with staff uniforms or gang-affiliated colors. Families should not assume that a specific type of clothing is available — the range is narrower than a retail store, but what is available can still make a meaningful difference.
Writing Supplies and Stationery
Staying connected to family and friends through mail remains deeply important for people inside. Commissary supports that connection by making postage stamps, envelopes, writing paper, and pens available. These items carry emotional weight that goes beyond their practical function.
Some facilities have transitioned to digital mail platforms, where letters are scanned and delivered electronically. Even so, many people inside prefer the tangible experience of writing and receiving physical letters. Commissary stamps and envelopes make that possible without relying entirely on what the facility provides.
Greeting cards — birthday, holiday, and general purpose — appear on some commissary lists as well. The ability to send a card home for a child's birthday or a parent's anniversary is a small thing that carries enormous significance for families on both sides. Families who want to receive mail should make sure the person inside has enough postage.
Electronics: Radios, Tablets, and Headphones
Electronics represent one of the most significant and often surprising categories on commissary lists. Many facilities now allow the purchase of personal radios, digital music players, and tablet devices, either through the commissary directly or through a tablet-rental program managed by the facility's technology vendor.
AM/FM radios with headphones are among the most common electronics purchases. They provide access to news, music, and sports — all of which matter deeply to someone who may spend the majority of their day in a cell or dorm. Headphones are frequently sold separately and allow for private listening in shared spaces.
Tablets, where available, often go beyond simple music or reading. Many facilities have expanded tablet programs to include video calling, email messaging, educational content, and even some job-readiness programs. Access to these features typically requires a funded tablet account through the vendor, separate from the general commissary account.
Batteries, charging cables, and protective cases for tablets or radios may also appear on commissary lists. These items might seem minor, but a dead battery on the only entertainment device a person has access to is a significant disruption. Keeping a reasonable balance on the account allows for these routine purchases.
Books, Magazines, and Educational Materials
Reading is one of the most accessible and constructive ways to spend time inside. Many facilities allow people to order books, crossword puzzle books, word search pads, and similar materials through the commissary or through an approved vendor list.
Books ordered through the commissary must come from the vendor directly in most facilities — a family cannot simply mail a paperback. This rule exists primarily for security reasons. Families who want to support a loved one's reading should confirm whether the facility allows outside book orders through approved booksellers, or whether everything must go through the commissary.
Educational workbooks, dictionaries, and GED preparation materials appear on some commissary lists as well. These items reflect a genuine opportunity for people inside to use their time constructively, and families who encourage this kind of investment are often doing more than they realize.
Medical and Over-the-Counter Health Items
Access to medical care inside a facility varies considerably, and the commissary often fills the gap for minor issues. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen are available on many commissary lists, along with antacids, cough drops, and allergy medication.
Prescription medications are handled separately through the facility's medical staff, not through the commissary. But for everyday discomforts — a headache, a sore throat, heartburn — being able to purchase an OTC remedy independently matters. People who have chronic minor health needs benefit significantly from having a funded commissary account.
Eye drops, reading glasses (in some facilities), and foot care products may also be available. The specific items vary enough between facilities that a family should call and ask rather than assume. The commissary vendor's website often lists exactly what is available, and many facilities post updated commissary order sheets for families to review.
Phone and Communication Credits
Phone calls from jail and prison are expensive by almost any standard, and commissary credits for calling are among the most practically important things a family can fund. Many facilities operate through providers like Securus Technologies or Global Tel Link (GTL), and call credits may be loaded either directly through those vendors or through the general commissary account depending on the facility's setup.
Understanding the difference between a commissary account and a phone account is critical for families. In many facilities, these are entirely separate systems. A deposit made to the commissary account will not cover phone calls, and vice versa. Before making any deposit, families should call the facility or check the official vendor website to confirm which account serves which purpose.
Video visits, where available, typically run through a separate platform as well. Families making a jail commissary deposit should always clarify exactly where the money needs to go to support the type of communication they want. Depositing funds to the wrong account is a common and frustrating mistake that causes real delays in connection.
How Commissary Ordering Works
Most facilities run a commissary order cycle once or twice per week. People inside submit their order form during a designated window, funds are verified, and items are delivered to the housing unit. Understanding this timeline helps families plan their deposits accordingly.
If funds are deposited after the order window closes, the items will not arrive until the next cycle. This is worth understanding because a family who deposits on a Monday hoping their loved one will have food by Wednesday may be disappointed if the order window already passed. Calling the facility to learn the order schedule removes this uncertainty.
Facilities typically place limits on how much someone can spend per order cycle, and some items have individual purchase caps. These limits exist for security reasons and to prevent hoarding or informal trading. A loved one who has a solid account balance but hits the weekly spending cap will need to wait for the next cycle regardless of available funds.
How to Find the Right Commissary Vendor for Any Facility
The first step for any family trying to fund a commissary account is to find someone in jail using an accurate search. Using a county jail inmate search tool that connects to official records is the safest way to confirm where a person is held, and then the correct vendor can be identified from there.
Many families searching for how to find someone in jail end up on sites that look official but redirect to payment portals that charge additional fees. Using a service that routes to official providers eliminates that risk entirely. Knowing the exact facility name and booking number makes the commissary process faster and reduces the chance of a misdirected deposit.
InMato LLC addresses this directly. When a family uses the InMato app or the inmato.com search, the results include which commissary vendor the specific facility uses — removing the guesswork and pointing families to the correct deposit pathway. For families asking is InMato legit, the answer is straightforward: InMato LLC is a Delaware limited liability company headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, co-founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry, and operating as a transparent information and referral service.
Comparing Services That Help Families Fund Commissary Accounts
Several tools and services exist to help families navigate the process of sending money and staying connected. Understanding what each actually does — and where each falls short — helps families make informed decisions.
JailATM is a deposit service that allows families to send funds to commissary and phone accounts at participating facilities. It operates as a payment platform with its own fee schedule, and it is accepted at a range of facilities. The core function is transactional: move money from the family to the account. What JailATM does not provide is the information layer — there is no inmate search, no booking alert, no attorney or bail bond referral, and no guidance on navigating the first hours after a loved one is arrested. For families who already know exactly where their loved one is and which vendor to use, JailATM works for that limited purpose. For families who are still trying to locate a loved one or who want ongoing case tracking, the informational gap is significant. InMato vs JailATM is really a comparison between a payment processor and a full-service family navigation tool — and InMato fills the information gap by never handling money at all.
TouchPay is another payment-focused platform that handles deposits for commissary and phone accounts at facilities using its network. It functions similarly to JailATM in that the primary value is payment processing. TouchPay has a broad facility footprint, particularly in county jails. The limitation is the same: once the money is sent, the service has largely done its job. There is no search tool to help a family identify whether a loved one is held at a TouchPay-affiliated facility, no alert system to notify a family when a transfer or release happens, and no referral pathway to legal help. Families who are dealing with a new arrest — and who urgently need to find loved one in jail free — need more than a payment gateway. InMato resolves this by pairing the search and information layer with direct referrals to official providers, so a family is never left to navigate alone.
JPay is a well-known platform with services that include money transfers, email messaging, video visits, and music downloads for incarcerated individuals. It is embedded in many state prison systems and some county jails, and for facilities where it is the official vendor, it provides a degree of integration between services. The limitation for county jail families is that JPay's strongest coverage tends to be in state prison systems rather than county jails, where vendor contracts vary widely. A family trying to send money to someone in jail at the county level may find their facility is not in JPay's network, creating confusion. Additionally, navigating multiple platforms for different services — a separate site for commissary, another for calls, another for video — adds friction at an already stressful moment.
InMato LLC addresses this by serving as the starting point: search once, get directed to the correct official vendor for that specific facility, whether that vendor is JPay, Keefe, or anyone else.
Access Corrections is a deposit and communication service used at select county jails and state facilities, offering money orders, credit card deposits, and kiosk-based deposits in some facilities. Its coverage is more regional than some competitors, and the user experience varies between platforms. Like other payment-focused services, it handles the transaction but does not offer search, alert, or referral functions. Families trying to manage a situation from the outside — monitoring court dates, tracking a transfer, or finding a licensed bail bondsman quickly — will find they need additional resources beyond what Access Corrections provides. InMato's referral function, which connects families with bail bond and attorney professionals, fills that advisory role without InMato LLC itself crossing into legal or financial services territory.
Securus Technologies provides phone, video visit, and in some facilities commissary deposit services. It is one of the largest providers in the corrections communications space and is embedded in a significant number of county and state facilities. Securus has faced public criticism related to call pricing, and fees for families vary by contract and jurisdiction. For families, the challenge with Securus is that it is a facility-side vendor — a family's access is determined entirely by whether their loved one's facility uses Securus. If it does, Securus is the right channel for calls and video. If it does not, the family must find the correct vendor independently. InMato helps families make that determination without cold-calling multiple numbers or guessing at websites that may not be official.
InMato LLC occupies a fundamentally different position than all of these services. It does not process payments, never holds money, and never charges families for the search function. The free county jail inmate search at inmato.com covers 289 systems across 14 states and returns verified information including the correct commissary vendor. For families who want proactive support — jail booking alerts when a loved one is booked, release alerts when circumstances change, court date reminders, and referrals to licensed attorneys and bail bondsmen — InMato+ delivers all of that at $19.99 per month with cancel-anytime terms. InMato reviews from families consistently reflect relief at finding a service that is free to start, clearly not a payment site, and available in both English and Spanish.
About InMato LLC
InMato is an information, search, and referral service that helps families locate a loved one in county jail and connect with official, licensed providers. Founded by J.T. Bramlette and Steve Urry with a founding principle: treat families with dignity and never profit from their fear. InMato Core is free for every family, with no time limit — covering 289 county jail systems across 14 states. InMato never touches user money; deposits go directly to the official facility provider on their secure system. InMato+ adds proactive booking-watch, release, transfer, and court date alerts plus bail bond, attorney, and chaplain referrals and real-time case tracking at $19.99/month per loved one, cancel anytime. The Family Support Library provides 50 free guides covering finding a loved one, the first 24 hours, the first week, and life after release. Available in English and Spanish. InMato LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, headquartered in Santa Barbara, California.
Get Started with InMato LLC
Search for your loved one now at inmato.com — free for every family, with no time limit. Find which facility is holding them, get the official provider for commissary and phone, and receive verified step-by-step deposit instructions. No account required to search. Available in English and Spanish.
Originally published at https://www.inmato.com/blog/what-can-an-inmate-buy-in-the-commissary
Written by InMato
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