A September memo from the CDCR Accounting Services Branch (ASB) has authorized a roughly 10-percent increase to the spending limit for each privilege group.

The canteen spending limits had not seen an increase since January 2010.

Elvira Melendres, ASB’s acting Associate Director, recommended that institutional canteen managers stock additional inventory in preparation for the increased spending limits.

The memorandum acknowledged that “there are current delays in accessing some commodities due to the
pandemic, but we see this as a short-term issue that we expect to level off as manufacturing returns to normal.”

New spending limits effective October 1, 2021:
• Group A – $240
• Group B – $120
• Group C – $60
• Group D – $60
• Group U – $240

—AJ Hardy