Each institution gets its canteen products from a variety of places, including Wal-Mart, officials say. Miller said institutions mark up hygiene items by 8 percent and tobacco products by 10 percent. He said non-essentials, like electronics, are marked up 15 percent. Inmates also pay sales tax. Charles Arnold of Oklahoma City was recently discharged from a facility in Lexington.
Phone bills are another source of contention between inmate families and prison officials.
Corrections officials say phone companies must charge more on inmate calls to cover the cost of phone equipment destroyed or damaged by inmates and families who refuse to pay their bills. The department receives about 35 percent of what the phone company charges for collect calls. He suggested allowing inmates to use pre-paid calling cards to phone home. But prison officials say collect calls are higher from inmates, in part, to recoup costs special equipment to block some calls and monitor others. Pearman said relatives of inmates who have high phone bills should mail a copy of the bill to the inmate.