Families of NSW prisoners slam inedible food, ‘ridiculous’ commissary prices

Families of NSW prisoners claim “inedible food” is being served behind bars, forcing them to fork out hundreds of dollars a month so their loved ones don’t go hungry.

Families of NSW prisoners claim they are being “unfairly punished” by the costs of having an incarcerated loved one, revealing they pay hundreds of extra dollars a month because crooks are complaining about the food.

Relatives of inmates from Junee, Lithgow, Silverwater and Cooma prisons claim they “go without” their own necessities – like lunch and medication – to make life bearable for their imprisoned loved ones.

Prison reform advocate Joanna Scriven, whose son is nearly finished his sentence, said she sent him between $70 and $100 for weekly buy-ups.

“I tell him: ‘I’m sick of having to pay this, but, if I don’t, you won’t eat,” she said

“Inmates should be steered on a pathway of reform, but they’re not even feeding them properly.”

Prison reform advocate Joanna Scriven outside the Manly courthouse. Photo: Tom Parrish

Ms Scriven said phone calls cost $2.59 for 10 minutes and could easily add up to between $200 and $300 a month.

A source from a prison in NSW’s central west said “around $1200 a month” was needed to be “comfortable”.

“You need external funds or you won’t survive,” he said, claiming the standard meals were “pretty much inedible”.

“(There are) no fresh meals. They’re all frozen, reheated and often poor quality, plus ‘dinner’ is served at 3pm.”

Photos taken during an inspection of Lithgow Prison.

Victims’ advocate Howard Brown said while the government was responsible for providing a balanced diet to prisoners, inmates shouldn’t expect “filet mignon”.

“We want our inmates to be treated humanely, but some of these complaints are a bit precious,” he said.

“A balanced diet doesn’t necessarily mean interesting, especially when you’re catering to 400 people.”

One mother claimed that since entering custody earlier this year, her son “frequently suffers mouth ulcers and sores in his nose” because he of his lack of a balanced diet.

As a result, inmates rely heavily on making weekly food orders through the prison’s buy-up system, which is usually paid for by families, at prices “a lot dearer than the outside”.

A Corrective Services NSW buy-up price list from May 2023. Source: Supplied

Megan Baxter, whose husband was previously held on remand for a non-violent crime, called prison prices “ridiculous”.

“I was like: ‘Who’d pay that?’” she said. “Deodorant was $8, plus $70 for shoes and $40 for a blanket you then return.

“Even with me sending money, he couldn’t afford an extra blanket sometimes.

“You only get basics in custody and those basics don’t even hit the necessities. ”

A recent prison price list obtained by The Saturday Telegraph reveals while some items, such as chocolate and tinned Spam are cheaper in prisons than in supermarkets, many others cost more behind bars.

A comparison of 60 items from the price list revealed that, when they are not on sale, the products could be purchased for $91 in supermarkets. However, they cost $120 — the maximum weekly amount an inmate can spend — in prisons.

Other costs include activity buy-ups, on which inmates can spend up to $150 a month. They can also buy a $38 “entertainment pack” containing three movies on a tablet, plus pillows, blankets and tracksuits.

One mother claimed she had spent $4000 in eight months on her son and said she was questioning why she must “pay twice” as taxpayer and caregiver.

“It’s hard not to resent the system” she said.

“Families suffer and go without when they’re not the ones who committed a crime.

“People would be surprised at the burden. Jail’s not a ‘warm bed and three meals a day’ like people think.”

Inside Lithgow Prison.

The mother said she earned “a good income” but still struggled.

“Sometimes I go without things or delay paying bills so my son gets what he needs, otherwise he goes hungry and cold.”

Another source claimed inmates without outside support would form gangs and threaten those who had help, forcing their relatives to pay for them as well.

“So you’ll be paying for four or five other inmates, otherwise your loved one gets the shit bashed out of him,” the source said.

Paula Hogg, whose son is currently serving a sentence for a non-violent crime, said gangs demanded money from other inmates in return for not being bashed.

“The strain is huge,” she said.

“They need money inside but can’t have too much because the gangs would demand $50 a week to keep them safe.”

A spokesman for Corrective Services NSW said the maximum monthly amount an inmate could receive in external funds was $800, with the limit designed “to prevent standover incidents”, while “officers actively monitor inmate interactions to prevent intimidation and threats of violence”.

“It is up to the discretion of inmate’s families how much they contribute to an inmate’s account,” he said.

A statement from the department also said “buy-up prices are reviewed annually and generally align with supermarket prices”.