The cost of the weekly shop might sometimes feel like daylight robbery, but inmates say the prices they're paying at jail canteens are a flat-out rip-off.
Prisoners can purchase approved items, including extra food and toiletries, but say Corrections is exploiting its captive market with massive mark-up.
"It seems exploitative to detain people and charge them far above retail for the goods that you sell them," human rights lawyer Golriz Ghahraman says.
Prisoners can order approved items like extra food and additional toiletries from the jail canteen each week. Corrections supplies the basics.
Inmates say a number of everyday items are 50 to 100 percent dearer than on the outside.
Newshub decided to put it to test, by choosing half a dozen specific products from a prison canteen order form - chocolates, shampoo, a two-pack of puddings, toothpaste, soap and a chocolate drink.
Next, we compared their canteen prices to Pak'nSave and Countdown.
The total bill at the prison canteen was $40.85.
The same items at Countdown were $24.80 - although two products were on special.
At Pak'nSave the tab was $23.55 for exactly the same things.
So that's a 73 percent price jump between our cheapest shop and the prison canteen.
For the soap, the price hike is 92 percent, and 79 percent for shampoo. Even items Newshub checked at a convenience store were cheaper.
"Some of those prisoners won't be able to afford ordinary hygiene products - then it becomes an issue of degrading treatment in detention," Ms Ghahraman says.
Corrections say it makes zero profit from canteen sales, with extra costs like packing, distribution and billing.
Prisoners can earn 20 to 60 cents an hour working on the inside. That can be spent at the canteen.
But after several complaints to the Ombudsman, Corrections has reviewed the system and says a new national canteen supplier is starting next year - but it won't say who.
Newshub.
