Inflation is also high in prison canteens

The price of a five-liter bottle of water rose from 2.90 to 5.20 lira in a month. Prices of some products have doubled.

Ayça Söylemez

Inflation is also high in prison canteens

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Prisoners in Şakran Prison in Turkey's western province of İzmir sent the price list of the products sold in the prison canteen. According to the list, prices have risen steadily in the past six months. The last prices are from January, but prices increased in this period as well.

In the prison whose official name is İzmir No.1 Type-T Closed Penal Enforcement Institution, one liter of sunflower oil was sold for 22.25 lira, one kilogram of black tea was sold for 35.80 lira and half a kilogram of salt was sold for 5.20 lira in January (1 US dollar = 14.86 Turkish lira).

The price of five-liter drinking water rose from 2.90 lira to 5.20 lira in a month.

Paying for drinking water

Prisoners are only given three meals a day. They have to pay for drinking water and the stuff to cook their own food.

Prisoners pay for the use of the power sockets in cells, in other words, they pay for the use of televisions, refrigerators, samovars and kettles. The institution covers only the lighting.

They can buy their personal needs such as sanitary pads, paper, pen, glass, soap, shampoo, underwear and cleaning materials, as well as food other than their daily meals, from the canteen.

They pay the Post and Telegraph Organization (PTT) fee to send letters.

Prisoners are given a debit card to use the money deposited into their personal accounts from outside (families, loved ones, etc). They make their spending with these debit cards.

They buy items they use in their cells, such as televisions, refrigerators, samovars, dressers, kettles, radios and so on.

Weekly price increases

In the letter they sent, the prisoners said, "Around August-September 2021, the administration distributed the price lists of the canteen and stated that the prices in the first column were the selling prices. However, that list was almost never implemented. Because there were new numbers in our receipts on each canteen day."

They also criticized that there was a single brand for every type of product: "Does the Competition Board look at prison canteens? One brand and one type are imposed. Do they know that?"

Exorbitant increase in electricity prices

Bianet previously reported on the high electricity prices in prisons.

CLICK - Electricity bills have tripled in Turkey's prisons as well

Three convicts from three prisons who received an aggravated life sentence applied to the Ministry of Justice and the prosecutor's office about the high electricity prices. Applications of all of them were rejected.

Nuri Özen, who is currently at the Sincan No. 2 Type-F Prison, first applied to the court, and then to the Constitutional Court. His applications were rejected. He said he will bring the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

"Dozens, hundreds of people are aggrieved ... The electricity of those who cannot pay the bills are cut off. The state covers lighting. Apart from that, we pay for everything that plugs in like refrigerators, kettles, and ventilators. However, these are basic needs. The bill is 60-70 lira per person every month."

"Business" pricing for prisons

Barış İnan and his friend, who received an aggravated life sentence, applied to the ministry, objecting to the "business status" of the electricity they use in prison and demanded a switch to household status.

Their request was rejected as well.

(AS/VK)

Ayça Söylemez

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Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Felsefe Bölümü mezunu. Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi Sosyoloji bölümünde yüksek lisans yaptı. Marmara Üniversitesi İletişim Bilimleri’nde doktora yapıyor. Vatan, Akşam, HaberTürk ve Hürriyet gazetelerinin yazıişleri ve dış haberler bölümünde çalıştı. Güncel Hukuk dergisinde yazıları yayınlandı. BirGün’de Anonim adlı köşeyi yazıyor. 2011’den bu yana bianet’te İnsan Hakları Editörü.