Cost of living, you know, if you’re alone in prison, it’s sad, truly it is. When you see someone have yet you yourself have nothing, it’s sad. When you need to write your family but yet don’t have a stamp,
let alone an envelope or paper or pen to even respond, it’s sad. When you need something so bad but yet have no way of paying for that need, it’s sad, truly it is. Because if you don’t have any talents or
know a way, then, well, you’re just stuck with nothing, and your days feel like nothing. You think I’m lying? Try living in a Texas prison for a small amount of time without anyone, and I promise, by the
end of your sentence, you’ll know what nothing feels like.

I don’t know about other prisons in other states, but the Texas Department of Criminal Justice sucks. If you ever do time here, you will come to hate Texas. I truly have. This whole detention system in
Texas… you want to know what Texas gives you? One toothbrush, one toothpaste which is no good. You have to brush your teeth twice for your mouth to feel clean. You get seven pieces of soap the size of a
domino every week, plus one razor to shave with which is not enough at all for cleaning or hygiene purposes. It’s all you get, trust me, and you don’t get no more soap than that a week, no deodorant, you
don’t get deodorant at all, no shampoo, no conditioner, no lotion, nothing but what I just told you. The rest is tie-up boxers/jumpsuit/2 sheets/one towel/one face towel/two pairs of socks and some very
uncomfortable shoes which hurt your feet and tear easily. This is all you get. You’re supposed to get an exchange every day, but nowadays they only come 3 times a week which sucks. You can’t wash your
stuff, you only have 7 bars of soap which you need to use to bathe or apply to your armpits as makeshift deodorant, which doesn’t work so much, only for a short period of time.

So, the cost of living, well, it varies because every prison is different. But Texas makes you pay for everything you basically need. And if you don’t have help, well, you’re stuck with what you got,
which is not much. I would say 50 dollars a month would help you because 25 dollars is really not much. It helps, but you need soap/toothpaste/deodorant/stamps/envelopes/pens or pencils. If you don’t have a tablet, you need a radio because music is something that helps a lot in prison, seriously, you need that. Or you may like sports or politics news, whatever, you need a radio, no doubt about that.

What about clothes? A white T-shirt/gym shorts/detergent to wash your clothes. All this and everything else you can imagine cost money, which you don’t have, and it’s not like you can find a job, you’re in prison. Oh, and the food is no better, trust me. You will need a little food to help you with the trays they give you, which is not much at all. They got this stew which is mostly water and vegetables, not much meat or enough of the nutrition your body actually needs.

Like I said, try living in a Texas prison, you’ll see that it hurts. So, 50 dollars a month is good enough to get you by. You can get your hygiene correspondence plus a few extra needs for the month, get what you need more importantly and stock up on hygiene, you’ll need it, plus a little food.

So, if you don’t have any help in prison, you will need to find a trade or learn. Talk to people, learn a thing or two. We run line a lot, which is kind of like fishing. I throw my line out, you snatch my line and
tie on, stay connected (editor’s note, this is how communication is done in solitary confinement). If I tell you pull, then you pull, whatever I got going to you. Simple. With this said, you can learn to spin line
and sell lines for 2 dollars a line or more, depending on the length and strength of the line. Plus, quality is good, people like good quality lines. I personally prefer braided lines, which cost 4 to 5 dollars but
are strong and last longer, don’t tangle. They’re the best lines you’ll ever get. Or if not, learn how to fix radios and headphones. Have someone teach you, because this is a trade that will get you what you need, which will get you 5 to 10 dollars or more. You can also make speakers, another popular trade which pays, seriously.

If you are talented artistically, then you can make cards in any form. For example, pop-up cards are popular, or just a plainly well-drawn card will sell. Many people like to send their family cards for birthdays, holidays, whatever. You can also do portraits, which are also popular and go for 5 dollars and up. I sold a portrait of Kobe Bryant for 50 dollars one time, which is undervalued because it was in color, plus a good size also. But in prison, people won’t pay much for artwork. This is just an example. People have many trades. Some people sew, some people make rosaries, necklaces, and whatnot. It’s up to you, but you have to survive; otherwise, you have nothing.

There is also the occasional guy who will feel sorry for you and give you things here and there. Or you can go around asking people for stuff. I’ve seen that a lot. Like these guys will bring their cup to the dayroom and ask people for coffee. Or let’s say you had a disagreement with somebody; well, this same guy will throw stuff (yes, they do throw feces and urine, seriously) on the guy you don’t like for a bag of coffee. This is also a trade, believe it or not.

So, you honestly need someone to hold you down financially. If not, it hurts, simply it does, because I just basically told you the Texas Department of Criminal Justice does not give you much, and the things you need cost money, which prices have actually risen. Soap is 30¢ a piece, toothpaste costs $2.60, deodorant costs $2.45, stamps are 65¢ each, a writing tablet costs $3.00, a clock radio costs $22, shoes cost $50, and in the summertime, you absolutely need a fan which costs $23. The food is also kind of high. Let’s say you buy a case of soups to eat with your tray, which is 24 soups in total, that’s $8.40. Let’s say you eat one soup a day for a whole month (30 soups), that’s $10.50. Plus, soap, let’s say 30 bars of soap for a whole month, that’s $9.00. Plus toothpaste, $2.60. Plus deodorant, $2.45. That’s already $24.55, plus tax, let’s say $25 in total. With just that, you still need stamps, pens, paper, clothes, a radio, a fan. All this adds up. You honestly need help, seriously. Those 50 dollars a month will seriously help to get the basics of what you need.

So, the products are not of much good quality, but they help. The quality is cheap, but hey, better than nothing. You’re in prison, you think you can just go out and buy good quality products? So, you’re stuck with what you’ve got. Oh well, welcome to prison. If you don’t like it, make parole or do your time, go home, and never come back. If you have a life sentence with no chance of parole, I’m sorry to hear that. It’s sad, but hey, you apparently have no choice. Society has banned you for life. It’s just the reality of the justice system, and the justice system in Texas, or any prison for that matter, sucks. This is the cost of living in prison for you.

Editor’s notes:

As an illustration of product shortage and inmates not getting what they need (even if you have the money, let alone most of them don’t have the money anyway), I have made two orders on the eCommDirect, an online program authorized by the TDCJ Commissary and Trust Fund Department where approved friends and family may make purchases for eligible inmates up to the maximum quarterly spend. Inmate spends are based on the following months:

January – March up to $70.00;
April – June up to $70.00;
July – September up to $70.00; and
October – December up to $95.00 (Holiday Spend)
Products are constantly run out. For example, dental floss is on the list but is never available for purchase. There are limits on product quantities. For example, I wanted to order 2 packs of color pencils but only 1 pack is allowed.