What happened to that sacred American idea, No taxation without representation? It seems to have missed the mark for millions of incarcerated citizens who pay taxes on the items they purchase while incarcerated, sometimes for decades, without a designated path for dialogue with their representatives. Though not all can vote, all people in prison are constituents, governed by the jurisdiction in which they’re incarcerated as their population numbers bolster the funding allocated to those schools, hospitals, roads and other state institutions that they never have the opportunity to experience while incarcerated. This gap is evident in today’s clip taking a deep look at a commissary store order form that was sent to me out of Michigan’s Dept. of Corrections (MDOC).
In this clip we take a deep dive into what commissary offers to people in prison who depend on these types of stores to meet their needs. Many on the outside misunderstand commissaries to be an extracurricular, with optional gas station snacks and goodies, but it’s so much more for people in prison who have absolutely no other option. Foods are sold in commissaries along with essential items like shower shoes, medication, hygiene supplies, earbuds and visiting room photo tickets. In most cases people in prison depend on an allowance from folks on the outside to afford to shop in commissary. However, in those cases where a job (or a hustle like doing hair or making crafts) is secured, extremely-below-minimum wages make affording store orders feel impossible.
The choice between making phone calls and sending messages to communicate with loved ones on the outside verses buying from commissary is what it’s like being stuck between a concrete rock and another barbed wire wall. In this video we’ll role play a scenario that represents a daily struggle for too many. What would you buy from the store with $20, considering you need to pay more than a quarter of the budget on shower shoes and Advil…? Still curious about prisoner commissary costs, see the form in full view at https://sawarimedia.press/2023/05/https://sawarimedia.press/2023/05/16/ever-seen-a-prison-store-order-form/16/…
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