10 Cents Louisiana State Penitentiary

Prison scrip of this kind occupied a legal gray zone throughout its period of use in American correctional facilities. Louisiana State Penitentiary scrip was issued by the commissary as internal tender, redeemable only within the institution — a system that gave the prison administration near-total control over inmate purchasing power while keeping hard currency out of circulation inside the walls.

Survival rate is low. Most scrip was redeemed, worn out, or confiscated during periodic shakedowns.