This is a closer look at the federal women’s facilities and whether they explicitly mention the provision of menstrual products like pads, tampons, and panty liners to inmates in their offender handbooks or not. Commissary lists, where available, also show the high cost of these items for women. Keep in mind, inmates do not make minimum wage and are often expected to buy basic hygiene items themselves. (For a comprehensive list of wages for inmates, click here) Commissaries are also not required to keep all items in-stock regularly. Generally, visitors are not allowed to bring packages for inmates and mailed packages of menstrual supplies are unlikely to be accepted.
Information for all facilities is from the Federal Bureau of Prisons and can be found for each location from the Female Offenders page. Clicking on a prison name will take you to its website. Some prison complexes are mixed gender. If there are separate handbooks for different parts of the facility then all are included since the facility websites don’t specify where each gender is housed. Only the commissaries which contain menstrual products are listed and linked if there are multiple lists.
| Prison | Mentioned in Handbook (version date) | Relevant Excerpt | Commissary Price (version date) |
| FPC Alderson | No (Aug 2021) | $5.00 Tampons Super $4.80 Tampons Reg $2.15 Pantyliners (As of 26 Jul 2021) | |
| FCI Aliceville | No (Jul 2021) | $2.40 Carefree Panty Liners $3.25 Always Regular Maxi w/wings $4.75 Always Maxi Overnight w/wings $9.45 AM Overnight Extra Heavy $6.65 Playtex Tampons $2.85 Tampax Super Tampons (Sep 2020) | |
| MDC Brooklyn (mixed gender facility) | No (Jul 2021) | None Listed (Oct 2020) | |
| FPC Bryan | No (Jan 2023) | $5.25 Always Maxi Pads $2.40 Carefree Liners $5.45 Super Tampons (Aug 17, 2018) | |
| FMC Carswell | Medical Center – No (Apr 2023) Camp – No (Feb 2017) | $5.30 Tampon Regular $5.30 Tampon Super $3.50 Care Free Panty Liners $6.00 Always Maxi Wings $9.75 Always Ultra Thin Maxi (Apr 2023) | |
| MCC Chicago (mixed gender facility) | No (Sep 2022) | $2.40 Panty Shields $2.40 Panty Liners $6.95 Maxi Pads $6.40 Tampons Regular/Super (Dec 2022) | |
| FCI Danbury (mixed gender facility) | No (Apr 2022) | $5.15 Maxi Pad w/Wings $6.80 Overnight Ultrathin Pad $2.15 Panty Liners $5.40 Tampax Tampons (Super) $5.30 Tampax Tampons (Regular) (Apr 2019, camp) | |
| FCI Dublin | Institution – No (Jul 2023) Camp – No (Jul 2023) | $4.15 Tampax-Super (2) $4.15 Tampax-Regular (2) $3.50 Always Maxi Pads 10 ct (2) $2.65 Carefree Panty Liner (2) (Apr 2022, institution) $5.95 Regular Pads w/w (with wings) (as of Nov 2023, special housing unit [SHU]) | |
| FCI Greenville (mixed gender facility) | Institution – No (2014) Camp – Yes (Mar 2014) | p. 8 “Sanitary napkins and soap are issued by the institution, as well as other hygiene products (for indigent inmates) and are available in the housing units.” | $2.80 Always Maxi Pads $3.90 Tampons Regular $3.05 Tampons Super (Camp – Jul 19, 2017) |
| MDC Guaynabo (mixed gender facility) | No (Oct 13, 2011) | $1.45 Pantyshields $3.30 Maxi Pads $6.80 Platex Tampons (Mar 19, 2012) | |
| FCI Hazelton (mixed gender facility) | Institution – No (Sep 2022) Satellite Facility – No (May 16, 2011) | No commissary list available (As of 20 Nov 2023) | |
| FDC Honolulu (mixed gender facility) | No (May 2022) | $1.50 Always Pantiliners $3.90 Always Maxi-Pads $5.50 Playtex Tampons 20/PK (Jun 2018) | |
| FDC Houston (mixed gender facility) | Center – Yes (Jul 2023) Holdover – Yes (Nov 20, 2013) | p. 31 “Products for female hygiene are available upon request.” (p.18 in holdover handbook) | $6.55 Maxi Pads $2.69 Pantiliners $7.60 Tampons (Jul 2022) |
| FMC Lexington (mixed gender facility) | No (Aug 31, 2017) | $2.35 Pantyliners $3.30 Super Maxi Pads $3.55 Always Plus w/Wings 10 pk $6.40 Always Overnites $2.55 Always 24 pk w/o Wings $2.95 Tampax (Sep 2015) | |
| MDC Los Angeles (mixed gender facility) | No (May 2022) | $5.35 Always Maxi Pads $5.30 Tampax Regular $1.45 Prefer Panty Shield (Jul 20, 2018) | |
| FCI Marianna (mixed gender facility) | No (Oct 2014) | $5.45 Maxi Pads w/Wings $2.15 Panti Liners, Carefree $6.65 Tampons, Playtex $5.85 Tampons, Regular $5.85 Tampons, Super $6.40 Always Overnight w/Wings (Nov 21, 2017) | |
| FDC Miami (mixed gender facility) | No (Mar 2022) | $6.70 Always Pad w/Wings $1.40 Panty Liners (Jun 2014) | |
| FTC Oklahoma City (mixed gender facility) | City Cadre – No (Nov 2015) Holdover – No (Aug 2017) | $3.30 Maxi pads Reg 1 $3.05 Maxi pads Super 1 $7.65 Tampons 1 $2.50 Panty Liners 1 (Jun 2022) | |
| FCI Pekin (mixed gender facility) | Institution – No (Jan 2023) Camp – No (Feb 2014) | $5.85 Always Panty Liner $5.85 Always Panty Liners w/Wings $6.25 Stayfree Super Maxi $6.20 Kotex Super Tampon $10.40 Tampax Reg. Tampon (Jul-Sep 2018, Institution) $1.70 Always Panty Liner (2) $6.75 Always Ultra Thin Pads (2) $8.60 Kotex Super Tampon (2) (Sep 2023, Camp) | |
| FDC Philadelphia (mixed gender facility) | No (Apr 2022) | None listed (Jun 2022) | |
| FCI Phoenix (mixed gender facility) | Institution – No (May 2023) Camp – No (May 2023) | $3.90 Maxi Pads $5.40 Tampon Reg $5.40 Tampon Super $2.40 Panti Shield (Nov 13, 2019) | |
| MCC San Diego (mixed gender facility) | No (Apr 2022) Pre-trial – No (as of 27 Feb, 2024) | $4.50 Maxi Pads, Always, Regular, 10 ct $4.50 Panty Liners, Maxi Reg 22 ct $4.50 Tampons, Maxi Super 20 ct (Nov 2022) | |
| FDC SeaTac (mixed gender facility) | Yes (May 2023) | p. 17 “Articles necessary for maintaining personal hygiene to include: soap, toothbrush, toothpaste or powder, comb, feminine hygiene products, and toilet paper are available from the Unit Officer or requested by laundry.” | $5.55 Tampons (2) (Jun 2023) |
| FCI Tallahassee (mixed gender facility) | Institution – No (Sep 2015) Center – No (Mar 2016) | $4.75 Always Overnight $2.20 Carefree Liners $9.45 Always Extra Heavy $5.35 Always Pads $4.10 Tampax (Oct 2020) | |
| FCI Tucson (mixed gender facility) | Institution – No (Jan 2017) Pre-trial – No (2012) | None listed (Nov 8, 2016) | |
| FCI Victorville Medium I (mixed gender facility) | Institution – No (Sep 2021) Camp – No (Aug 2021) | None listed (As of Nov 2023, institution) $10.65 Panty Liners Always Thin $8.60 Kotex Tampons Super/Reg (As of Nov 2023, camp) | |
| FCI Waseca | Yes (Mar 2023) | p.7 “Sanitary pads (regular and super), tampons (regular and super), and panty liners are issued by the institution and made available to all inmates on the housing unit in inmate restrooms.” | $7.95 Always w/Wings $2.00 Panty Liner $5.40 Tampax Original $5.40 Tampax Super (July 2023) |
The rule regarding access to menstrual products for inmates of federal women’s facilities can be found in the Female Offender Manual.
“Wardens will ensure inmates are provided the following products (at no cost to the inmates):
(p.11, May 12, 2021 version, P5200.07, U.S. Department of Justice)
■ Tampons, regular and super size.
■ Maxi Pads with wings, regular and super size.
■ Panty liners, regular.
Additional products of this type may be purchased and issued by the facility at the discretion of the Warden. Institutions will purchase the products in accordance with National Acquisitions guidance. These products are provided in addition to those required via the standardized gender responsive commissary list.
In issuing feminine hygiene products, staff may not ration these items. For inmates in general population, all products must be made available in common areas, either a bathroom or accessible area of the housing unit. Women must have access to these items at all times of the day and may keep them in their cell, consistent with personal property requirements. Monthly issuance of these items is strictly prohibited, and unit replenishment of supplies must be done with 24 hours of notification that a particular product is lacking. For women in restrictive housing, all five products must be available for issuance on a daily basis.
Misuse of items for other than intended purposes is not cause for withholding access, but is managed via routine disciplinary procedures.”
Additionally the Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Department of Justice issued a Policy Memorandum in 2017 requiring the provision of some free menstrual products at all locations, and it has been renewed every year since. (Most recent memo here)
Page last updated 27 Feb, 2024
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
