email : Webview : NEW Pilot Program in SF County Jails!

The Financial Justice Project, Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, and the SF Jail Justice Coalition launch $10 a month Commissary Allowance Pilot Program

This was handwritten by a person currently incarcerated in San Francisco County Jail.

Beginning this month, people incarcerated in San Francisco County Jails who have little or no support from the outside will receive a $10 monthly allowance to purchase essential hygiene items and food from the jail store, or commissary.

Developed by The Financial Justice Project, San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto, and the San Francisco Jail Justice Coalition, the Commissary Allowance Pilot Program helps ensure incarcerated people maintain their dignity and ability to purchase essential items, like shampoo, deodorant, and food.

The program will be piloted for one year and is believed to be one of the first programs of its kind in the country. The launch of the program was covered by NPR/KQED, KTVU, and CBS/KPIX.

“During my incarceration, the burden of paying for commissary items fell on my family. That hurt the most. I’m the bread giver for my family but my pride made it difficult for me to ask for my family to put money on my account. Having $10 a month would have helped alleviate that burden on me and my family.”

- Paul Briley, Regional Chapter Coordinator with All of Us or None/Legal Services for Prisoners with Children

While everyone in jail has access to basic hygiene supplies, family members and loved ones typically put money on incarcerated people’s accounts so they can supplement these supplies and buy additional food items.

Approximately one-third of people incarcerated in San Francisco jails lack outside support and are unable to purchase items from the jail store. Although modest, the new monthly $10 allowance seeks to help people with little or no outside support.

"This is an investment in a safer community. When we give justice-involved people the resources and a sense of agency over their lives, we help them get through their time in jail and provide support to successfully and safely re-enter society.”

- San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto

The Commissary Allowance Pilot Program builds on previous first-in-the-nation reforms. In 2020, The Financial Justice Project worked to make San Francisco the first county to make jail phone calls free and end markups on commissary items, lifting a financial burden off of incarcerated people and their families.

Previously, items in the San Francisco County Jail’s commissary store were marked up an average of 43%. We also worked to make San Francisco the first city to pass a People Over Profits ordinance, which ensures that San Francisco will never again generate revenue for the government from incarcerated people and their families.

People in custody are eligible for the pilot program if they are housed in San Francisco County Jails for 30 days or more and have had an average commissary balance of less than $10. The pilot program is funded by philanthropic dollars raised by The Financial Justice Project.

"As a City we should invest in the most marginalized populations in our community, not profit off of them. During the pandemic it’s more important than ever that incarcerated people should be able to maintain hygiene and get supplemental nutrition."

- San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros

The Financial Justice Project would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all the members of the San Francisco Jail Justice Coalition, Sheriff Miyamoto, and staff at the San Francisco Sheriff's Office for working with us to make the Commissary Allowance Pilot Program a reality.

Organizations in the SF Jail Justice Coalition include: All of Us or None, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, Young Women’s Freedom Center, Young Community Developers, GLIDE, Taxpayers for Public Safety, SF Pretrial, Community Housing Partnership, and the San Francisco Public Defender's Office.

We look forward to learning from this pilot program and ensuring that incarcerated people can maintain their dignity and access to food and hygiene products.

Yours in Financial Justice,
Anne, Michelle, and Shawn

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