Few aspects of federal prison life impact inmates as significantly as the commissary. This small store inside each facility is more than just a place to buy snacks—it’s the financial engine that funds all inmate amenities. The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) commissary system generates hundreds of thousands of dollars per month per facility, fueling the Inmate Trust Fund. This fund covers everything from recreational programs and hygiene products to clothing and even the salaries of inmates and staff who run laundry and commissary services. Taxpayers do not contribute a single dollar to these inmate amenities.

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The First Step Act (FSA) was the most significant attempt at reforming the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) in recent history. Passed with bipartisan support, its intent was clear: to incentivize rehabilitation and reduce recidivism. However, the BOP’s resistance to these changes has been evident from the start. Rather than embracing the reform, the agency has viewed it as an administrative burden, reinforcing its long-standing practice of treating the prison population as a monolith rather than recognizing individual efforts at rehabilitation.

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