Is It Related To The Government Shutdown?
We’re getting a lot of reports lately about commissaries across the country having next to nothing in stock. Almost everyone on our team here at Federal Prison Tips has been through this, and there’s nothing more frustrating – especially on days when the prison meals at the chow hall are barely edible.
People are getting less than 25% of the items they’re ordering after shopping across the country.
So, what’s the deal?
Unfortunately, government shutdown aside, this phenomenon is common around this time of year.
October 1st is when the new fiscal year begins for the federal government.
Prison commissaries across the country run a semi-annual inventory in October and March, which involves shutting down the commissary for a week and depleting as much inventory as possible so they can count fewer items.
So, most commissaries went ahead and did this right before the government shutdown – and now, procurement and fulfillment has become increasingly more difficult.
Once the government reopens, they will restock their inventory and the shortages will ease.
If you have an inmate who’s been in federal prison for a number of years, they will likely be able to tell you about this same out-of-stock season that hits twice a year. Hopefully, the government shutdown will end soon, bringing an end to further misery in daily prison life.