In a previous piece I'd written about how the taxpayers are getting ripped off by the Department of Corrections ("DOC"). Let me share another way that the DOC makes money for its business. They exploit inmates and their innocent families with the prison store, the commissary. Inmates are permitted, once weekly, to visit the prison store. By regulation, the DOC makes a minimum of 5% profit (and often much more) on the purchases. Along with many others here at the Smithfield prison in Huntingdon County in Central Pennsylvania, I feel that the prison commissary is charging a lot more than the regulated price. They may even be buying wholesale at inflated prices from relatives. Nepotism is a way of life in "corrections." Smithfield prison is a family business. In addition to overcharging, the commissary often sells individual items from packages which are intended for package sales; one razor out of a bulk pack of 10. The commissary here offers almost no selection of goods and very little that the ordinary inmate can afford. They operate a "take-it-or-leave-it" monopoly! We can't go to the Wal-Mart and we can't even get things sent in from outside vendors. The things that we absolutely need (such as food you can't eat the meals) , we must buy from the commissary. The DOC makes it nearly impossible for an inmate to survive without begging from his family. At present inmates work at various prison chores for 19 cents an hour. Most of us are paid for only 20 hours a week. Our monthly pay is a mere $15.20. Then you must deduct 20% for the insane Act 84 reparations which squeezes pennies from prisoners to pay court costs. There's only $12 left for a prisoner to try to survive on. It's not realistic practice for how to budget resources upon release. One's broke, hungry and deeply resentful each month. Like others, I've been trying to get our commissary to improve with more and better products and with prices we can afford. So far my efforts have been futile. They are arrogant and callous not to mention lazy. You could help us if you'd get your imprisoned loved ones in all the state prisons to send in a copy of their commissary price list. By comparing prices we might be able to induce improvement. Since DOC forbids prisoners to correspond with one another, please send the commissary price list (or have your loved one send it) to the website: www.prisoners.com Box 5251 Harrisburg, PA 17110