Priced Out of Dignity: Economic Constraints on Menstrual Access in U.S. Prisons

Period poverty is the lack of access to an affordable and adequate supply of menstrual products. Period poverty pervades carceral facilities, posing an intersectionality between economic disadvantage, wage disparities, and terrible facility conditions. The affordability of period products contributes to period poverty in general populations but is underexamined as a contributing factor within U.S. prisons. To examine the affordability of these products, we conducted a content analysis of commissary listings from 2022 to 2024 for prisons across the Southeastern United states. We reviewed listings from 14 Southeastern U.S. states, a region selected due to limited menstrual equity legislation, poverty levels, and high carceral rates. Statewide commissary listings from official Department of Corrections postings were inductively coded by two independent reviewers to thoroughly categorize the type of product(s) available, listing price, quantity, and associated taxes when provided. Hourly wages within facilities of each state were compared against commissary pricing to estimate labor hours required to afford menstrual products. Results reveal discrepancies within commissary listings, including differences in product types available, wage disparities, and considerable pricing differences across states for comparable products. These findings reveal menstrual inequity driven by exploitative labor structures and inadequate product variability and pricing, underscoring the need for prison policy reform.