More than a hot snack: Chips sold in Ky. prisons help former inmates on outside

One longtime Kentucky jailer is bringing a bit of normalcy to life behind bars, one snack at a time.

In early 2021 Jamie Mosley, a jailer at the Laurel County Correctional Center for 16 years, began brainstorming ways to boost the morale of his inmates and quickly focused on their ability to order commissary items, with quick treats like potato chips at the top of the list. Soon after Jail Breaker Chips — an homage to his career and the company’s origins — launched and began selling to nearby correctional facilities (but not his own.)

“All jails provide three meals a day, but snacks and other treats that those of us on the outside take for granted can make a big difference in helping people pass the time, almost like they’re bored at home watching a TV program,” explains Mosley.

“That being said, (Jail Breaker) was always built with the intent of being a retail product too. We wanted to create something with unique branding that would stand out among a crowded store shelf and our presence in the corrections market has been critical in developing that demand. Funding the launch of a retail brand can be very expensive for a small operation like us, but with 13 million people passing through the corrections system each year and all being consumers again afterward has helped bring a lot of familiarity to what we’re trying to build.”

Currently available in over a dozen states (and counting) including all Meijer locations in the Commonwealth, Jail Breaker Chips has quickly built up a clientele not only through its connections to the correctional industry, but also for its “spicy, sweet with a little heat” flavoring that Mosley says is just as vibrant on the last bite out of a bag as it is the first .

“Most chips don’t really evolve or change when you’re going through a bag, so we wanted to create something that would address that issue by starting off sweet before turning tangy in the middle and heated near the end,” Mosley said. “However, one thing I wanted to avoid was being overpowering. There’s some other local chip maker who I love the flavor of, but can only eat four or five of because they’re so strong. My goal is to pack a lot of flavor into each bag, but not so much that it keeps people from finishing it.”

The culmination of this flavor profile is Jail Breaker’s current offering, “Cell Boss Blend” — yet another reference to Mosley’s jailer credentials. Featuring an instant bite with hints of barbecue and mustard, the chips are sure to leave you licking your fingers and reaching for another bag. According to Mosley, the company is currently tinkering with a variety of new flavors including their own take on a “Plain Jane” potato chip.

“But we won’t push something out just for the sake of saying we have another flavor,” asserts Mosley. “We’ll always experiment but also don’t want to take our foot off the gas with what we’re doing right now because it’s working really well.”

However, if you ask Mosley what he’s most proud of with Jail Breaker it’s not the clever branding or addictive seasoning mix, but rather the helping hand the business has allowed him to extend to others, specifically those coming out of correctional institutions and looking to reintegrate into everyday society.

“We only have six employees now, but as we continue to grow we want to provide more opportunities to folks who’ve had an addiction issue or been incarcerated previously,” clarifies Mosley. “I want Jail Breaker to be successful not only for my own benefit, but also so we can provide more things like that to folks looking to reintegrate into society as well. At the end of the day, there’s nothing more important to me than the jail and the work we do there.”

This story was originally published January 7, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "More than a hot snack: Chips sold in Ky. prisons help former inmates on outside."