How to sell products to prisoners
Prison Commissary Survival Items
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I thought you told me you was down by
yourself you're gonna ride out these
5000 by any chance did you put that
money where in the mail for me so I
could order some commissary what's going
on everybody welcome to after prison
show and in this video we're gonna be
talking about some prison commissary
necessity items things that you
absolutely must have immediately upon
getting to prison you know one thing
that you may not know about leaving jail
and going to prison at least here in the
state of Virginia and I'm pretty sure
this applies to many other states as
well but when you he packed up and leave
to go from jail to prison in a lot of
cases you're not allowed to take much of
anything with you at all especially when
it comes to commissary items in most
cases when you get transferred from jail
to prison you're essentially gonna have
to start all over there's also the high
possibility that when you get to prison
you're gonna need a few things different
or maybe weren't available to you while
you wore in the jail as though as with
all of that in again that in this video
I'm gonna be telling you about some
prison commissary items that you
absolutely must have most everybody in
prison has very little if any money at
all and in most cases the money that
prisoners do have either comes from some
sort of a prison job that I can
guarantee you ain't paying them very
much at all or either from loved ones
who are sending them money in every time
they get on the phone like who head in
the back Rocky Hill right now I don't
want to get on a ladder let these dudes
know about you know the folks but I
swear I'll get another man in the back
by hey who is that right there let me
talk about that Jody who who over there
with you baby I thought you told me you
was there by yourself in yours gonna
ride out these 50 years with me girl are
you by any chance did you put that money
order in the mail for me so I could
order some commissary you know real
quick I was just thinking about it like
how I remember guys would tell me these
crazy stories they would call home
telling their loved ones whether it was
their mom or their dad or their
girlfriend or sister their brother
anybody who would pick up that phone for
them but these crazy store
some of these guys would tell their
loved ones just in an effort to try to
get money sent in and in most cases
these crazy stories were concocted
because they were dealing with some sort
of addiction that they were getting
heavily in debt behind a mom thank God
you picked up look I'm gonna need you to
send me like four hundred dollars I
swear I'm having a problem with these
dudes in here right now mom if you love
me you're gonna send me $400 I need it
tomorrow mom can you hurry happy Westen
you give me that money I need that money
she said she's sending me the money ADA
do come back for visitation yet oh my
god mom you're still on the phone sorry
about that I got completely off track
but the original point that I was trying
to make is that most guys in prison are
on a very fixed income they only have a
certain amount of money if any money at
all that they can use to buy commissary
with and you know I've been in that
exact situation many many times too many
damn times in fact many times throughout
my life where you only have about $25
that you can spend every week maybe
every two weeks you've only got a very
small amount of money to your name and
also on your books that you can use to
go to the store with and because of that
you're gonna have to do some very
strategic budgeting and a lot of times
you're gonna have to go without just in
an effort to be able to get what you
need and with all of that strategic and
thrifty spending that you're going to be
forced to do while in prison the worst
of this is likely to occur just first
getting there because there's gonna be
things that you absolutely need to buy
and some of these things you only have
to buy like one time and others you
might have to buy them every month or
every couple of months and some of these
absolute necessity items they're not
cheap at all and they're definitely
gonna be putting a hurtin on your little
prison pocket oh and by the way real
quick if anybody ever asks you anything
about a prison pocket while you were in
prison
and your best to just hit them in the
face right then and there hey what's
going on with you man I couldn't help
but to notice you're the new guy here
you're the fish aren't you this is your
first time being in prison has anybody
told you anything about a prison pocket
something that you're good your pocket
you want me to go to fun fun fun fun so
yeah even though some of these items are
most certainly gonna be putting a hurtin
on your pocket because you're gonna have
to spend a little bit to be able to get
these things and a lot of times just to
be able
get these items you're gonna have to go
without the zoom zoom zoom wham wam ZnO
ramen noodle soup sodas chips crackers
the honey buns you're gonna have to do
you some 50 spending and get these
things that you need first some because
if anybody sees you coming back from
commissary that very first time when
you're just getting to prison and you
don't have these necessity items and
instead you've got you a bunch of honey
buns chips and sodas oh they coming to
take everything from you and in fact
you're gonna make it very easy for them
because one of the absolute first things
that you need from commissary when you
get to prison is a lock I knew you was
gonna say a lot Joe I just knew you was
gonna say we need us a lot that way we
could put that in a sock and we could be
ready for whatever and Joe you were
straight soldiers Joe I knew you were
trained to go talking about we gotta get
us a lot first in most cases no getting
a lock for a weapon immediately upon
getting a prison is not why you need a
lock the reason you need a lock is
because you're gonna have lockers and
inside those lockers you're potentially
gonna have stuff if you're so lucky to
have some stuff in those lockers meaning
that somebody in the free world loves
you or maybe you got you a prison job
that's gonna pay you enough to keep you
some stuff in that locker you're gonna
want to keep that stuff safe and the
number one way that you can do that is
by buying a lot from commissary as soon
as you get to prison but then again I'm
sure there are some cases where guys get
to prison and immediately have problems
they're probably getting beat up from
the moment that they step off of the bus
so potentially they're gonna go ahead
and buy a lock so they can try to handle
some business and by handling business
ain't talking about putting that lock
inside of a sock and using that against
nobody I'm talking about taking that
lock opening up that locker putting
themselves inside of that locker and
then locking that lock so nobody can
mess with them anymore
because if they're getting beat up from
the moment they're getting off the bus
they ain't gonna be no good or lock
inside of a sock I'm trying to tell you
some guys they really have a tough time
in prison but with the fact that a lock
is so important to have getting one is
definitely gonna set you back a little
bit especially if you're on one of them
fixed incomes like we were first talking
about and let's say you've only got
about 25 dollars a week that you can
spend or maybe every two weeks well a
lot can cost you anywhere from about 8
to 15 dollars so that lot could very
easily wipe out about half of that money
you've got to spend now right along with
that lock purchase there better be some
things on that bubble sheet as well and
these might actually be the most
important items that you're going to
need to have in prison and these are
your hygiene items your soaps your
deodorants your toothbrush your
toothpaste at the absolute very least
and the reason these are probably just
as important if not more important than
that lock it's not just for the simple
fact that you can keep yourself clean
with these items it's also just as
important that wherever you're housed
inside of the prison whether in a
housing unit cellblock sharing a cell
with somebody or being both went through
around whoever then folks that you're
living in close quarters with are gonna
want to know that you know what you need
to do go by those hygiene items and that
you also use them keeping yourself
properly clean because one thing don't
nobody ever want to be surrounded by in
prison is a dirty nasty mother you could
be living in close quarters with a
hundred plus people so with that there
is already gonna be so many nasty
disgusting
smells and nobody wants to be sharing
any type of prison space with somebody
who's contributing to them smells
because they don't have good hygiene
ain't new guys he just came back from
the store I know you got you a
toothbrush toothpaste deodorant some so
Daniel I have the money for that on the
head twenty five dollars I can spend all
about with some ramen noodle soup some
candy bar so does a couple of honey buns
hold me those so what I need some soap
boy I washed up on a honey bun hey do me
a favor go ahead and pack up all your
stuff take it up to the booth knock on
the window until the guard you ain't
safe in here you got to go you ain't buy
those soap man you have got to practice
good hygiene while in prison because if
you don't you're guaranteed to have
problems and you know some guys what
they'll do immediately upon getting to
prison they'll go ahead and buy that
lock and then they'll go ahead and stock
piles hygiene no buy 10 bars of soap a
couple of deodorants a couple boxes of
toothpaste a couple of toothbrushes and
they're trying to make sure they're good
to go and they ain't got about hygiene
products again for like the first six
months to a year now right along with
these hygiene products there's one other
thing I need to throw in with this and
that is razors you know it's the
craziest damn thing to think about but
in a lot of Prisons they actually sell
the prisoners razor blades so they can
shave because in a lot of Prisons they
got what's called grooming compliance
meaning is you got to keep your finger
cut and walk around that place looking
like a butt ball baby face but yeah
right along with those hygiene items
you're most certainly gonna have to buy
you a couple of razors because one thing
about it if you don't buy no razors and
you ain't got nothing to save with and
then guards come around doing a grooming
compliance check which they will often
do they do it like three times a week
and they see that you're facing shaved
you run the risk of getting the charge
and if it's your first charge let me
tell you one thing that they most
certainly can and often times will do
they will actually give you a fine
a fine in prison they will give you a
charge and give you a fine and guess
where they're gonna get the money for
that fine frog they're gonna take it
right out of your with tsums tsums and
weighing williams account i meant to say
right man I just got me a $15.00 five
because I wasn't in grooming compliance
you know that's pretty damn crazy and
I'm I'm sorry to hear that but you know
a razor uncommon series only 30 cents so
had you spent that 30 cents on a razor
instead of a ramen noodle soup you
wouldn't be paying a fifteen dollar fine
we've proven they're gonna follow the
rules man and that's a little funny to
me especially considering the fact but
the first four years while I was in
prison ain't follow any rules at all in
fact I made my own damn rules but I got
a lot of trouble for that and I lost a
lot of good time you know what after
those first four years of bucking and
doing what I wanted to do I was
following the rules at least for the
most part the next prison commissary
necessity items are gonna be your
stationery supplies your paper your pens
your stamps your envelopes now these
items are only gonna be important to
those who have loved ones out in the
free world and most everybody who is
locked up they do get one form or
fashion of some type of loved ones out
there in most cases it's gonna be a
girlfriend or girlfriend that you don't
even know really is an ex-girlfriend now
Casino moved on since you got locked up
but having these stationary items are
gonna give you one of the very few
senses of security that you have to be
able to maintain contact with whoever
you have out there in the free world
keep it together we got write this
letter we gotta find out what's going on
[Music]
dear Sally it's been fourteen and a half
years and thirteen days since I've heard
from you I'd like to believe that we are
still together considering I've never
received a letter telling me otherwise
you know I love you Sally I really hope
that you haven't forgotten about me and
potentially moved on with one Jody or
another held to be completely honest
with you you've probably moved on with
about 15 Jody's in the last fourteen and
a half years and thirteen days I have
been keeping track of how long it's been
Sally not only because I still love you
but because when I do come home I'm
going to find you and I'll probably go
looking for all 15 of those Jody's as
well I also hope that the dogs okay and
that you didn't get rid of him just like
you've probably gotten rid of me
and I'll be looking forward to seeing
you in 13 years four months seven days
and 24 hours I love you Sally and I hope
that you still love me you're gonna be
needing you some pen paper stamps and
envelopes well locked up and he'll even
if you don't have anybody to write to in
the world and you feel completely gone
and forgotten you know having a pen and
a piece of paper is a good way to write
down your thoughts to write down maybe
some ideas that you might have some
things that might be beneficial to you
when you get out yeah the game was crazy
last night just banged into man it game
was played it came right hey old I got I
got good write down just business I just
having a billion dollar business idea
Danny do write daycare I'm gonna stop me
a daycare service you got a piece of
paper too I'm gonna stop me a daycare
service these next prison commissary
essentials are pretty important as well
and these are gonna be your prison
household goods your cup spoon and Bowl
three things that you can buy off of
commissary and three things that you're
probably going to need because hopefully
at some point you will be able to order
some zoom zooms and Wayne Williams some
ramen noodle soups some coffee
things that you're gonna need that cup
bowl and spoon for and you know there's
a lot of guys in prison
weren't even fortunate enough to be able
to make commissary every week or even
every couple of weeks they don't have
any ramen noodle soup they ain't got no
coffee they can't afford these things
yet you'll still often times see that
these guys they've got a cup bowl in a
spoon and there's a good reason for that
as well let's use coffee man for example
this was a guy who never was able to go
to the store this guy never had any
money sent into him at all and he also
had like one of the worst pain prison
jobs that there was got worked in the
kitchen and was making like 17 cents an
hour
which equated to about $20 a month and
$20 a month ain't gonna be doing you
much of any good in prison this guy
would bomb one bar of soap and like four
bags of coffee they didn't call coffee
man for no reason after all but you know
there are cases and I mean I used to do
this for coffee man as well we're other
more fortunate prisoners who are able to
go to the store we'll oftentimes look
out for some of these less fortunate
guys maybe tossing them a soup a coffee
man here's a soup man you look like you
ain't ate in a week you need to stop
trading on trays four cups of coffee or
maybe giving them just that you know a
cup of coffee but even if a prisoner
isn't able to go to commissary at all or
all that often every prisoner is trying
to have them a cup a bowl and a spoon
because even if you're not making
commissary you never know when that can
come in handy and somebody actually
looks out for you doing some sort of
like a prison good day there's one final
thing that I want to mention on this
list of prison absolute necessities you
know there's so many things that could
have included with this but I'm just
trying to give you an idea of the bare
essentials the things that you really
really need to get your hands on pretty
much immediately upon getting to prison
and this last item I'm gonna include in
my own personal opinion I mean this is
an absolute must-have and you have got
to order this immediately upon getting
to prison when you order that lock and
you order that hygiene and you order
that razor and you order them stationery
supplies your best to go ahead and order
you a couple of packs of Tylenol as well
yes on prison commissary they do sell
certain medicine type items it's not
gonna be very much of anything you might
be able to get you some cough syrup you
might be able get you some stool
softener maybe some tums but you will be
able to get you some tylenol and
Prison you are most certainly going to
needed not only is this good to have in
case you get sick you get a fever I
think Tylenol is good for a fever maybe
you got some aches and pains as well
because you just got beat up but you are
also most certainly gonna need that
tylenol because I can guarantee you
you're gonna be getting some headaches
in prison you know president a lot of
cases is like Anna st. Asylum you got
nothing but a bunch of crazy out of
control people running around being
allowed pretty much 24/7 they're gonna
even be cases where they're screaming
right in your ear as you're trying to go
to sleep that's how a space Republican
what's going on the poker table you
might not go down exactly like that
because if it does you better jump off
that rack put your shoes on and get to
fighting immediately because that is an
absolute sign of disrespect however the
point I am trying to make with all of
this is prison will oftentimes be a loud
and obnoxious place and there ain't
nothing worse than being sick or having
a headache and not being able to do
anything about that
in prison you know when you're sick
enough feeling good you're gonna be a
weaker version of yourself you ain't
gonna be a hundred percent and that can
put you in a pretty vulnerable situation
if someone was trying to bring problems
your way again what I've mentioned here
in this video these are the absolute
prison essential items that you must
have immediately upon getting to prison
some of these items you're probably only
gonna have to order one time like the LA
and others you're gonna be ordering
these things every once in a while
however when you first get to prison
these are things that you need to have
first before you go try to spend some
money on some ramen noodle soups crack
of sodas chips and honey buns hey look
that's it I hope you enjoyed this video
and if you did so please leave a like
and a comment letting me know exactly
what you thought about it as always
until next time enjoy life the free
world never take a moment for granted
and make the most of every day please
[Music]