Rising prices in prison dining halls put a strain on inmates and families

Summit was initially brought on board by former Sheriff Mark Essick's office. Engram was then head of the detention division.

“When it comes to prices, I say this: Are you paying more for groceries today than you did a year ago?” Engram said. “We all do. Inflation doesn't stop at the doors of the Sonoma County Jail.”

While inflation and supply chain problems resulting from the pandemic have pushed up prices across the board, this upward trend has slowed significantly, while canteen costs have not.

The annual inflation rate in the U.S. was 7% in 2021, 6.5% in 2022 and 3.4% in 2023. The most recent rate was 2.9%, the lowest since the pandemic. Grocery prices rose just over 1% last year. Supermarket price increases have dwarfed those numbers and failed to bring them down, according to price lists obtained from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office.

The cost of shampoo, razors, shaving cream, flip-flops and Doritos, for example, has risen by about 100% or more since 2021. A range of other items, from stamped envelopes and pens to coffee and ramen to hairbrushes, deodorant and lotion, have risen by 30% to 67%. Even year-to-year under Summit, price spikes have generally far exceeded inflation. And costs often exceed those of nearby San Quentin State Prison, too.

There are exceptions. Toothbrushes, for example, have become a little cheaper since last year. Soap is cheaper at Summit than at the sheriff's office. Upon admission, inmates receive an “admission bag” containing a comb, shampoo, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a golf pencil for $3.26, according to the sheriff's office. Those without money still get the kit, but the cost is deducted if they receive money while in custody.

While some stores match retail prices, the markups can be significant. A pack of five disposable razors costs $1.19 at Target in Santa Rosa, but a single razor costs $0.69 at the Main Adult Detention Facility. A pack of ramen, a popular prison dish, costs more than three times as much behind bars.

Partnering with large companies can open doors to new, more efficient technology and infrastructure, a wider range of products and increased purchasing power, according to a 2021 staff report to the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors describing the potential contract with Summit. The jail has also struggled with critical staffing shortages, and the partnership with Summit has “freed up hundreds of hours of staff time,” Engram said.

However, the market is dominated by a few corporations, which also gives them greater influence over price, conditions and quality.

According to the county's contract with Summit, the sheriff's office must approve any price adjustments of cafeteria items and ultimately “reserves the right to set the final selling prices of cafeteria items.” In general, however, Engram said, “In my experience, any discussion of pricing when talking to vendors always leads to higher prices and never lower prices.”

Summit did not respond to interview requests.

Who really pays?

To curb price increases, California passed SB 474 last year, limiting price hikes in state prisons. Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill in 2020 that would have required similar changes in county jails. Similar efforts have been advanced in Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York and Virginia, among others.

Ultimately, the cafeteria services are largely funded by friends and family members – “people who have committed absolutely no crime,” says Nick Shepack of the Fines & Fees Justice Center, a national advocacy group that advocates for reform of criminal justice funding structures.

“Your only crime is loving someone who is in prison,” Shepack said, noting that the costs disproportionately affect women, families of color and low-income earners. “We are taking money away from our communities that need it most and subsidizing our government through these high prices.”

Many of the inmates in county jails have not yet been convicted of a crime. Less than a third of the inmates in the Sonoma County Jail have been convicted.

And for inmates and their support networks, the impact of price increases is even greater. Unable to earn an income while incarcerated, inmates turn to their loved ones, who may already be financially strained by fees, lost earnings and the cost of contact while incarcerated. A national study found that nearly two-thirds of families whose family members are incarcerated are unable to meet their basic needs.

“It's so stressful,” said one woman whose husband is incarcerated in the main adult detention facility. “They're raising all the rates and it's getting crazier and crazier. I know it's affecting the whole world, but we're dealing with all these things outside and trying to take care of him inside and it's just so messed up.”

Reach staff writer Marisa Endicott at 707-521-5470 or [email protected]. On X (formerly Twitter) @InYourCornerTPD and Facebook @InYourCornerTPD.