Following concerns from inmates, family members and criminal justice reform advocates, Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon is working with the state’s vendor to bring down costs for high-priced items at canteens in state prisons.
Food prices have been high at grocery stores in Florida, but in the state’s prisons, prices have gone up even higher when it comes to purchasing food, drinks, health aids, toiletries and other goods in canteens, or commissaries.
Dixon acknowledged on Wednesday that prices for basic items like ramen noodles and water have risen so high over the past month that he is working on the problem.
As the Phoenix reported last month, the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) announced in August that the agency had signed a five-year $175 million contract with the Keefe Commissary Network to provide “new and enhanced commissary services.” Those price increases took effect last month, and they’ve angered loved ones of inmates, who have been feeling those additional costs.
“I don’t disagree with the outcry,” Dixon said in speaking to a group of lawmakers on Wednesday.
Among those price increases included:
- A three-ounce package of Maruchan Ramen Noodle Soup that can be purchased at a Walgreens in Tallahassee for 69 cents, but now will cost inmates in Florida’s prisons $1.06.
- A package of two AA Energizer batteries goes for $1.25 at the Dollar Tree store on Apalachee Parkway in Tallahassee – the same package at state prison canteens goes for $3.30.
- And a Big AZ frozen chicken fried sandwich purchased at a Murphy USA gas station in Panama City goes for $4.99 but will take inmates back $6.19.
Dixon said that neither the Department of Corrections, nor Keefe claim that they compete on prices with Walmart or Walgreens, saying a closer comparison is with gas stations.
But he admitted that in some cases, canteen prices are too expensive. The Phoenix has found that in some cases, Florida inmates are paying a lot more for items like bottled water than in other states. A 16.9-ounce bottle of water costs Texas inmates $0.26 cents. In Florida, that same sized quantity of water sells to inmates for $1.15.
“I don’t want to be dismissive at all to the complaints because they do appear to be priced high – on water. On ramen noodles. Colored pencils. The big chicken sandwich that everybody likes and some various items,” Dixon told members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations for Criminal and Civil Justice.
“We have contacted the vendor, and they seem to be very amenable to working with us to bring some of those prices down,” Dixon said.
This article originally appeared in florida phoenix