Prison wine, also known as pruno or jailhouse wine, refers to alcoholic beverages made illicitly by inmates from fruits, vegetables, juices, and any other fermentable substances they can obtain while incarcerated. The practice of making DIY alcoholic drinks is common in many prisons around the world, as inmates try to recreate one of life’s small pleasures while serving time.
But how much does this backroom brew actually cost to produce? This article will break down the typical ingredients and labor required to make prisoner wine, and calculate an estimated street value for comparison to commercial alcohol.
Background on Prison Wine
Homemade alcoholic drinks have been produced in correctional facilities for decades as a way for inmates to escape boredom and temporarily relax rules against intoxication. The pruno moniker stems from the prominence of prunes as a base ingredient, due to their high sugar content. But pruno recipes vary widely, based on available resources. Common additional ingredients include fruit, fruit cocktail, orange juice, ketchup, sugar, bread, water, candy, instant coffee, cake frosting, Jell-O, and even crumbled bread rolled in fruit punch. The mixture is combined in a plastic bag and left to ferment undiscovered for a week or longer, intensifies the resulting alcohol content.
Making pruno is strictly prohibited in all prisons and considered a violation of regulations. If caught, prisoners face disciplinary action including loss of privileges, solitary confinement, or criminal charges for more serious brewing operations. Yet inmates persist, as the demand for mind-altering substances behind bars continues unabated. Homebrewed wine presents health risks as well, as imprecise fermentation and distillation can result in beverages containing dangerous contaminants. But for incarcerated winemakers, the rewards of temporary intoxication are seen as worth the risks.
Notable Prison Wine Busts
Prison staff wage a constant battle against pruno brewing. Here are some notable examples of major wine operations being dismantled:
- California, 2018 – A raid at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo County uncovered over 600 gallons of pruno fermenting in five interconnected garbage bags. The brewery was described as the largest ever found at the prison.
- Arizona, 2019 – A three-month investigation into alcohol sales at Arizona State Prison Complex – Tucson concluded with the dismantling of a pruno ring supplying inmates. One prisoner was busted cooking 25 gallons at a time in a banned hot pot and selling plastic bottle “shots” for $50 each.
- Florida, 2020 – Five inmates at Blackwater River Correctional Facility were charged with operating a prune wine factory out of the prison chapel. The extensive operation was estimated to produce over 100 gallons per week for distribution.
Ingredients in Prison Wine
As noted above, many ingredients can go into pruno, depending on an inmate’s resources. But certain basic components are used frequently due to cost, accessibility, and sugar content. Here are the most common ingredients found in prison wine:
Fruit and Juices
Fruits like oranges, apples, grapes, raisins, prunes, and fruit cocktail provide natural sugars that yeasts can convert into alcohol during fermentation. Orange juice and other fruit juices are especially popular bases. Canteen purchases or mealtime fruits are commonly diverted into brewing operations.
Sugar and Candy
White sugar, brown sugar, powdered drinks, Jolly Ranchers, and other sweets are added to heighten the alcohol content. Candy, Kool-Aid packets, coffee creamers, and artificial sweeteners are smuggled from the mess hall or purchased at the commissary when possible.
Bread and Starch
Starchy foods add nutrients for the yeast as well as residual sugars. Stale bread, cake frosting, potatoes, ketchup, pasta, rice, and bread crusts salvaged from meals or leftovers can find their way into pruno.
Yeasts
Active yeasts are needed to catalyze fermentation. Dry active yeast, baking yeast, yeast from bread, and yeast from past fruits are introduced to start the alcohol production.
Water
Water is combined with the ingredients to reach the desired volume. Hot water from the prison kitchen, toilet water, and drinking water are often used for convenience.
Extras
Miscellaneous ingredients to add flavor and complexity include coffee, tea, Jell-O, creamer, mustard, milk, vinegar, fruit pectin, sauces, cheese, vegetables, meat, and spices.
The Pruno Making Process
While recipes differ, the basic process of making pruno follows a common methodology perfected over generations of inmates:
- Ingredient Gathering – Sources inside and outside the cafeteria are tapped for fruits, juices, sugars, breads, starch, yeast sources, and other components on the recipe. This collection occurs incrementally to avoid detection.
- Mixing – Ingredients are mixed together with water in a plastic bag, trash bag, or other discreet container smuggled into the cell. Recipe ratios vary based on available supplies and the maker’s preferences.
- Fermenting – Yeasts are introduced to catalyze fermentation and the container is sealed. Gas buildup from the reaction is periodically vented. The mix is then hidden away to ferment undisturbed for a week or longer.
- Distilling (optional) – Some winemakers improvise crude distillation setups to increase the alcohol content through evaporation, collection, and condensation.
- Storage and Sales – Completed pruno is stored in shampoo bottles, juice bottles or other containers for consumption or sale to other inmates. Homebrew can fetch a high premium within prison black markets.
Cost Breakdown of Prison Wine Ingredients
The base ingredients going into a typical 1-gallon batch of pruno can cost:
- 3 pounds of fruit – $5
- 1 pound of sugar – $0.68
- 8 ounces of fruit juice – $2.20
- 1 loaf of bread – $1.50
- 1 teaspoon yeast – $0.30
Total – $9.68
Other potential additions like spices, coffee, creamer, or candy could drive the input cost higher. But inmates scavenge many ingredients for free from meal service leftovers or canteen purchases. And larger production batches achieve economies of scale. For example, one source estimates inputs for 25 gallons of pruno cost only $30 due to bulk discounts and recycled ingredients. So while exact figures vary, it’s reasonable to estimate the cost of ingredients for a gallon of prison wine in the $5 to $15 range depending on recipes and scale.
However, this pruno pricing analysis ignores the most fundamental cost component – the labor of inmates. Home winemaking requires considerable hands-on effort to secretly gather, mix, ferment, distill, store, and distribute. In the outside world, such tedious hands-on labor would significantly drive up the cost. But in prisons, inmates have endless time and little opportunity cost, making their labor contributions essentially “free” from an economic perspective.
Estimated Street Value of Prison Wine
To determine the potential street value of illicit prison wine, let’s make some assumptions and comparisons:
- A typical pruno is approximately 15% alcohol by volume. This is on par with inexpensive commercial table wines.
- A standard 750ml bottle of commercial table wine retails for $5 to $15.
- So if we assume 1 gallon of pruno is equivalent to 5 (750ml) bottles of table wine, that puts its implied retail value at $25 to $75 per gallon.
However, that may underestimate the premium black market value within a prison, where demand is high and access restricted. Homebrewed alcohol carries additional value as a prohibited substance.
Anecdotal reports suggest pruno can sell for $50 to $300 per gallon behind bars. The batch cost calculated earlier of $5 to $15 per gallon, represents tremendous unrealized value inmates could capture from their brewing efforts. Of course, the many inherent risks and labor costs make underground prison winemaking an unattractive venture in reality. But in theory, inmates are leaving massive potential profits on the table by not selling their wares to the general public at market rates. Perhaps a canny businessman could disrupt the criminal justice system by arranging such a pipeline. There are certainly millions to be made…
In summary, while the input costs are minimal, underground prison wine carries a hefty premium behind bars due to restricted supply, intensive labor required, and risky nature. That lucrative value proposition will continue enticing inmates into brewing operations unless more constructive incentives or activities are provided instead.
Major Impacts of Prison Wine Use
What are the primary effects, both positive and negative of inmates having access to homemade alcoholic drinks?
Positive Impacts
- Stress relief – Pruno provides a temporary escape from prison stresses and recreates enjoyment from ordinary life.
- Social bonding – Brewing and drinking together strengthens friendships, affiliations, and sense of community.
- Entrepreneurship – Inmates gain experience running a covert business operation under challenging circumstances.
- Mental wellness – Some studies show moderate alcohol intake may benefit physical health, mental health, and cognition in positive ways.
Negative Impacts
- Rule violations – Making pruno violates prison disciplinary codes, punishable by sanctions.
- Health risks – Unregulated production methods can create beverages containing dangerous toxins.
- Addiction – Overuse fosters alcohol dependency issues among the prison population.
- Violence – Debts, territory disputes, and contraband policing fuel criminal activities and gang conflicts.
- Unsafe impairment – Intoxication increases accidents, careless behavior, and poor decision making.
On balance, the negatives seem to outweigh any potential positives of permitting illicit alcohol use in correctional institutions. Maintaining safety and security for inmates and staff remains paramount. But prisons could explore controlled options like authorized wine tastings or evaluated alcohol prescription to provide some constructive benefits under a supervised framework. The demand clearly exists inside among the incarcerated population.
Spotlight: Notorious Prison Winemakers
Here are some notable inmates who made headlines for their prolific pruno brewing operations over the years:
Carlos Sanchez – Arizona State Prison Complex, Tucson
- Brewed 25 gallons of pruno weekly in a banned hot pot, generating $50 “shots” he sold to other prisoners.
- Earned an estimated $3000 per week through his illicit winemaking enterprise.
- Got busted in 2019 after a sting operation coordinated by the Department of Corrections.
Miguel Crespo – federal prison in Atlanta
- Fermented giant batches of pruno in milk crates stashed under beds.
- Used emptied deodorant roller bottles to distribute his hooch via catapult launches.
- His homemade wine sales netted an estimated $50,000 yearly.
Frank Lucas – federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana
- Former heroin kingpin and organized crime boss.
- Convicted in 1975 of drug trafficking and sentenced to 70 years.
- Continued running winemaking rackets inside prisons for decades.
- Transferred often to disrupt his interstate pruno distribution ring.
These examples demonstrate both the massive profits possible from prison wine sales, and the ruthless tactics used by inmates to command the trade. Authorities must remain vigilant against sophisticated contraband conspiracies run by incarcerated ringleaders who contribute to the violence, addiction, and rule-breaking these unregulated alcoholic beverages enable behind bars when they fall into the wrong hands.
Frequently Asked Questions about Prison Wine
Here are answers to some common questions about the realities of illicit prison wine operations:
How do inmates obtain the ingredients to make pruno?
They salvage leftovers from mealtimes, steal from the kitchens, receive contraband drops, or purchase sanctioned foods like fruit, bread, sugar, juice and yeast from commissaries/canteens to divert into brewing instead of consuming.
What are some slang terms used for prison wine?
Pruno, hooch, juice, jumpsteady, brew, prison pinot, and juice are common nicknames for jailhouse wine. Distinct regional slang exists based on ingredients like “sockie” (made in a sock) or “chongo” (containing oranges.)
Where in prisons is pruno produced?
Winemaking occurs secretly in inmate’s cells, restrooms, storage rooms, kitchens, and isolated corners of the yard where plastic bags can ferment undetected for days or weeks before being collected.
How do staff try to prevent pruno from being made and consumed?
Guards restrict and monitor supplies of potential ingredients, conduct frequent cell searches for fermenting contraband, test for alcohol consumption, and punish violators with solitary or loss of privileges to deter brewing.
Does prison wine ever contain dangerous contaminants?
Yes, vinegar, fruit pectin, and bread can introduce harmful bacteria, fungi, or chemicals during unsanitary DIY production. Distillation errors can produce methanol. Testing of confiscated pruno has found toxins, mold, and excessive alcohol levels.
Conclusion
In summary, prison wine provides inmates with an illicit avenue to temporarily escape confining realities. But these unregulated alcoholic beverages also pose risks to health, safety, recovery, and institutional order. Prisons must balance cracking down on contraband pruno operations while also providing constructive options for stress relief. Perhaps increased access to counseling, education, hygiene products, and supervised tastings of regulated alcohol could alleviate the demand for disruptive homemade hooch. With a pragmatic approach focused on harm reduction over punitive prohibition, prisons can turn wine from a problem into an opportunity.