IDOC INMATE COMMISSARY PRICE HIKES AND PRODUCT AVAILABILITY CHANGES - TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE DISADVANTAGED (AND THEIR FAMILIES)

On April 12, 2022, IDOC prisoners received 2 emails from Keefe Commissary.

The first of the emails (reprinted below as received) indicates there will be a considerable increase in commissary prices beginning May 1, 2022. The second (reformatted and edited as it is virtually unreadable in the form received) details commissary items which will be deleted from, and added to the commissary list, also beginning 5/1/22. I have also added comments in brackets [ ].

The IDOC contract for vendors providing Commissary services to Idaho prisoners (awarded to Keefe Commissary Network [KCN] in 2001 and continues through present) allows KCN the sole right to sell commissary items to the inmate population, and to price items sold to prisoners at the same or slightly higher price of comparable items purchased at a convenience store. Additionally, the IDOC charges a 25% surcharge on most every purchase (except franked envelopes and certain religious items).

Add on the 6% state sales tax to all purchases (which, due to the 25% mark up constitutes a de facto 7.5% sales tax to prisoners) and it's no wonder there are continuing allegations of price-gouging by KCN and the IDOC, and the unlawful monopoly they maintain. Indeed, KCN is the only store in town.

So - here are the changes we have been informed will take place in commissary item availability

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MESSAGE FROM KEEFE

TO: IDOC RESIDENT POPULATION
FROM: KEEFE COMMISSARY NETWORK
DATE: 4/12/2022

To whom it may concern:

Effective 5/1/2022, Keefe Commissary will be increasing all prices by 8.5% in accordance with section 17.4 of the commissary contract. The contract mirrors increases that are also happening in the community by matching increases or decreases to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI is abnormally high this year due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the supply chain, trucking, labor and manufacturing.

Keefe does understand the strain that this puts on our customers and will continue to acquire products that bring the most value to our customers.

We appreciate your business.

Thank you,

Keefe Commissary


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MESSAGE FROM KEEFE MENU CHANGES

To: IDOC Resident Population
From: Keefe Group
Effective Date: 5-1-2022

The following items will be added or deleted, as indicated, to the May 2022 to Nov 2022 menus:

ITEMS ADDED TO COMMISSARY

6410 Jelly, Grape - 20 oz / $4.95
2623 Summer Sausage (Regular) - 3 oz / $2.30
2622 Summer Sausage (Hot /Spicy) - 3 oz / $2.30
4019 Chic-O-Stick - 1.6 oz / $1.75
3535 Kraft Jalapeño - 2 oz / $0.65 [likely single serve pkt.]
3536 Kraft Cheddar - 2 oz / $0.65 [ditto - were 35¢]
3260 Cinnamon Coffee Cake - 4 oz / $1.25
6040 Iced Oatmeal Cookies - 6 oz / $1.25
4529 Cajun Rice Chicken w/Sausage - 8 oz / $4.06 [typo?]
2717 Spicy Spanish Rice w/Cheese - 2 oz / $4.06 [or typo here?]
6257 Kraft BBQ Sauce - 13 oz / $4.40 [who needs this much?]
6354 Sugar Free Honey / $6.00 [WHAT?????]
2198 Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa - 9 oz / $2.73
4142 Starlight Mints - 3.75 oz / $1.21 [was XXX]
6079 Kettle [Pop]Corn - 2.8 oz / $0.88

Also added are Reebok shoes (likely basketball-type) of various sizes from 6.5 - 11.5 / $46.76



DELETED ITEMS

0542 (Dental/Teeth) Flosser [how will we floss? No, really, how do we floss now?]
0883 Amino acid
6600 Flour Tortilla [best seller!]
6607 Hot Peanuts
1784 Optic White (Toothpaste)
6673 Thai Noodle Soup
2044 French Vanilla (Coffee) Creamer
7039 (Koss) CL-20 (Headphones) [terrible quality]
2017 Hot Cocoa [great buy]
2340 Gatorade [powder - got one, had it a year]
2172 Chamomile [under Religious item, not tea]
2615 Summer Sausage
3030 Vanilla Cremes (Cookies)
2630 Black Beans [everybody buys these!]
3045 Duplex Cremes
2664 Mac and Cheese
0056 Pomade [no hair - gotta beard!]
3039 Gaesma Cookies [never heard of them]
0573 Flowers [flowers what?]
3112 Saltines [why?]
0710 Tampons [aren't these needed?]
3205 Moon Pies
3133 Animal Cookies [PETA]
3500 Honey [replacing it with SUGAR FREE honey]
2789 Tapatio (hot sauce) [another best seller]
3584 Summer Sausage [adding a summer sausage too]
3585 Summer Sausage [ditto]
4019 Chick-o-Stick [I love these things - adding new brand?]
3231 Oatmeal and Cream
2582 Blue Ocean Punch
2715 Frosted Flakes
3134 Fruity Red [drink mix]
4031 Twix
4103 Bit-O-Honey
8272 Wrapped Sunglasses
4120 Root Beer Barrels (hard candy)
4143 Starlight Mints [double as breath mints]
0133 Fresh Scent Deodorant
2337 Meal Replacement [never tried it]
5157 Mint Double Stuffed Cookies
6052 Ramen - Hot and Spicy Veg [all ramens here overpriced]
3236 Swiss Rolls
6178 Mackerel in Oil
6429 Jalapeño [Processed] Cheese [oily and clumped up]
6195 (Packaged) Chicken Breast
6500 Hot Pickle
6502 Zesty Garlic Pickle
6201 Popcorn (Extra Butter)
6412 Jelly [deleting this but adding same?]
3843 Boxers (Underwear) [state-issued undies suck]
3846 Boxers (Underwear)
5270 Boxers (Underwear)
5271 Boxers (Underwear)


PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE IDAHO STATE SALES TAX.
THANK YOU, KEEFE COMMISSARY

IDOC - Idaho Suicide Prevention Hotline -Free Call (208) 398-HELP (4357)