Whether you can have a TV in prison depends entirely on where you are locked up. Federal prisons ban personal televisions in cells. Many state prisons allow them, provided the set meets strict specifications, is purchased through the commissary, and the owner stays out of disciplinary trouble. Courts have repeatedly treated television access as a privilege, not a right, so corrections officials set the terms.
Federal Prisons Say No, State Prisons Often Say Yes
A 2001 appropriations provision permanently bars the Bureau of Prisons from spending any funds to provide in-cell television viewing. The only exception is for prisoners segregated from the general population for their own safety.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 US Code 4042 – Duties of Bureau of Prisons No amount of good behavior or time served changes that. Federal facilities do provide communal televisions in dayrooms and shared TV rooms, typically six to eight sets shared among well over a hundred people, with staff controlling programming and viewing ending at lockdown.
State systems are far more permissive, and the rules shift not only between states but between facilities within the same state. Minimum-security units tend to allow the most flexibility. Maximum-security units often restrict personal electronics tightly or condition them on a clean disciplinary record for a set period. Anyone trying to figure out what applies to a specific incarcerated person needs to check that facility’s inmate handbook or property list.
What an Approved Prison TV Looks Like
Facilities that allow personal televisions require a very specific kind of set. These are not TVs pulled off a retail shelf. Manufacturers build models specifically for correctional use, and the features are shaped by security rather than convenience.
- Transparent or clear plastic casing so officers can inspect the internal components without disassembling the unit.
- Screen size capped at about 13 inches at most facilities, with some allowing up to roughly 15 inches.
- No Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or any ability to send or receive signals.
- No built-in DVD player at most facilities, even when the manufacturer offers one as an option.
- Headphone-only audio, either through the absence of internal speakers or by rule.
- Simplified controls, with timers and advanced settings stripped out.
- Tamper-resistant screws.
Buying a TV Through the Commissary
The standard route is the commissary, which functions as the facility’s in-house store. Staff verify the buyer’s identity, confirm the balance in their trust account, debit the cost, and hand over the set. Once the receipt is signed and the buyer leaves the sales area, the sale is final.2Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual
Trust accounts get funded a few ways. Family and friends can send money orders or cashier’s checks to a designated lockbox address, or use electronic transfer services like Western Union or JPay. Incarcerated people also earn wages from prison jobs, though pay is low. The commissary is the only authorized channel for buying personal items, and spending is capped at whatever limit the institution sets.2Bureau of Prisons. Trust Fund/Deposit Fund Manual
Some state systems also permit purchases through approved outside vendors or family package programs, where a relative orders from an authorized catalog and the item ships directly to the facility for inspection before delivery. Not every system offers this, so confirm before ordering anything.
One TV Per Person
Facilities impose numerical limits on personal property, posted on housing unit bulletin boards during orientation. Federal inmates are limited to one approved radio and one approved watch at a time and must be able to prove ownership of each.3eCFR. 28 CFR 553.11 – Limitations on Inmate Personal Property State facilities that allow personal TVs generally take the same one-per-person approach. Everything has to fit in the designated storage space, and staff will not let property accumulate to the point where it creates a fire, sanitation, or security hazard.
What It Costs
Prison-approved televisions run significantly more than comparable consumer sets because the transparent casing, security modifications, and limited market make them specialty products. Commissary prices generally fall in the $200 to $400 range depending on facility and model. One state system lists a 13-inch digital TV at just over $218 in its 2026 commissary catalog, and correctional supply vendors price clear-case LED models between roughly $350 and $400.
Those prices are heavy against prison wages, which often pay well under a dollar per hour. For someone without outside financial support, a TV can represent months of saved earnings. Headphones or earbuds are a required additional purchase, and replacement parts have to come through the commissary too.
Rules for Using It
Ownership does not mean unlimited viewing. Facilities set quiet hours, and televisions generally have to be off by a designated evening time, often around 10:00 PM or whenever the housing unit’s lights-out policy takes effect. Headphone use is mandatory wherever personal TVs are allowed. Playing audio through a speaker is a fast way to lose the privilege.
The facility controls channel access, not the viewer. In communal setups, staff can override inmate channel selections from a centralized system and push mandatory programming such as announcements, self-help videos, or educational content.4Office of Justice Programs. System Streamlines Managing TV and Training in Jail Personal TVs in state facilities typically receive only the channels the facility provides through its cable or satellite system, and premium or pay-per-view content is not part of the package.
Each set is registered to a specific person. Lending, trading, or selling a TV to another inmate is prohibited in virtually every system. Violating any TV rule can mean confiscation of the device, loss of commissary privileges, or a formal disciplinary report that damages classification status and can delay parole or good-time credit.
What Happens When You Transfer or Get Released
Property does not always follow the owner. In the federal system, staff at the sending facility ship authorized personal property to the receiving facility on transfer. If the receiving institution does not allow that item, the inmate has to mail it to someone on the outside at their own expense.5eCFR. 28 CFR Part 553 – Inmate Property
If the owner cannot afford shipping or refuses to provide a mailing address, the facility can dispose of the property through approved methods, including destroying it.5eCFR. 28 CFR Part 553 – Inmate Property A narrow exception exists for radios and watches, where the receiving institution covers the mailing cost if the item is not authorized at the new facility.3eCFR. 28 CFR 553.11 – Limitations on Inmate Personal Property The exception does not extend to televisions. On release, the owner is responsible for taking the property along or arranging shipment at their own cost.
Tablets as an Alternative
Personal televisions are increasingly sharing space with digital tablets distributed through private vendors, and in some newer facilities tablets have replaced TVs entirely. By 2022, at least 25 states had deployed tablets in their prison systems, primarily through Securus and ViaPath (formerly GTL).
Tablets provide access to movies, TV shows, music, e-books, games, educational programs, and sometimes legal research databases. Much of that content is not free. A new-release movie rental runs around $9 with a 48-hour viewing window, and music, games, and other paid content add up. People who transfer between facilities or switch providers risk losing everything they have purchased, because content libraries do not always carry over.
Some facilities offer a baseline of free tablet content such as games, e-books, and religious programming while charging for entertainment. Compared to a 13-inch commissary TV pulling basic cable, a tablet offers more variety but keeps charging over time. A TV is a one-time purchase with the channels included; a tablet has a meter that never stops.