PRISON CONFIDENTIAL

22 VegNews MARCH+APRIL 2017 chow has long gotten a bad rap— right up there with hospital meals and airplane food.

Like these other institutions, prison kitchens are in the volume business, and the sweet spot lies somewhere between a balanced diet and a balanced budget. Often, a prison’s focus on cost-cutting leads to unpalatable meals and unsatisfied appetites. In some, the food is considered so inedible or devoid of nutrition that inmates who once used cigarettes as currency for favors now use ramen noodle packs, which are traded to fellow hungry for decent sustenance. And for any number of reasons—misinformed dietitians, officials refusing to give a special treatment, or simply the cost of making PRISON non-standard meals—the dietary requirements of inmates who want to eat vegan, or at least healthier, are routinely ignored, leaving it up to them to get creative or go without. Prison cuisine is already limited, yet in an era of dwindling budgets, food services are often the first to be downsized or turned over to private companies. The result can be a reduction in the quality or quantity of food served. In some Texas and Tennessee , for example, inmates CONFIDENTIAL are given just two meals a day on weekends—breakfast and Faced with soaring populations dinner—meals that are high in carbs and low in and protein, leaving many prisoners hungry for more. and shrinking budgets, the Most prisons today, however, recognize that offering prison industrial complex is satisfying meals that taste good and, when applicable, allow finding it challenging to feed prisoners to eat their ethics, is one way to keep the peace. inmates healthy, satisfying But it wasn’t always so. meals. Author Gruel and unusual uncovers the steps prisons are In Victorian England—the era of poorhouses and pea- soupers, where daily rations for convicts commonly taking to improve what they consisted of bread and oatmeal gruel—prison are dishing out—and how administrators argued that inmates were criminals and prisoners are digesting it. should be given just enough nourishment to keep them breathing, and for as cheaply as possible. But there was

VEGNEWS.COM VegNews 23 disagreement about the role of prisons— Federal Bureau of Prisons), state prisons eating toothpaste and lotion to help fill whether inmates were there to be (administered by each state), and county his stomach. The lawsuit contended that punished for their misdeeds or instead jails (where individuals await trial or serve prisoners were fed only about 1,700 calories molded into productive members of sentences up to one year)—options can a day, leading another prisoner at the jail to society—and such debate consequently vary widely from facility to facility. Most drop 90 pounds in six months. affected the food provided. institutions rotate their menus, serving the The privatization of can These were the days when vegetarian same foods on a regular cycle. Others plan be traced to a 1927 Alabama law, which meals were recognized as the most cost- meals around whatever ingredients they gave county sheriffs in the state $1.75 per effective, so European prisons regularly can snap up at the lowest price. prisoner to cover the daily cost of their served porridge, bread, potatoes, beans, meals. Most Alabama counties operate soup, and even beer. This was Hungry for justice under this system today, with the same clearly alluring in famine-plagued Ireland, Keeping costs low means some prisons $1.75-a-day allocation, and the law where prison authorities in the mid-1800s spend as little as 56¢ per meal. Half a allows sheriffs to keep any excess funds, were convinced the nation’s more destitute dollar doesn’t buy much, and the resulting resulting in massive corruption. In 2009, citizens were breaking laws just to get fed. options—such as bologna sandwiches, for instance, Alabama Sheriff Greg Bartlett To discourage these hungry miscreants, watery oatmeal, and reconstituted mashed was arrested after putting about $212,000 they reduced the amount of food doled potatoes—can be predictably meager. Last from his Morgan County jail food budget out to male prisoners each day. While July, prisoners in the Butler County jail in into his personal bank account over this did not deter , it was approved Kansas were so disgusted by their mashed three years, while the inmates received by a medical officer and was considered potatoes that they rioted in protest. Once nutritionally inadequate meals. And more economical. the violence was quelled, jail officials Bartlett’s jail is but one example of how Across the pond, prison food in the decided it was the chow-hall security that bad the food is in Alabama lockups. “Most Inherently, the prison industrial experience involves very few choices—certainly around what inmates can eat. But the choices around food in marginally improved last October when all 102 US federal prisons began offering a vegan entrée for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

United States was a means of reward needed improvement, not the food. of it is like powdered food, and the portions and . In the 19th century, To help cope with shrinking prison-food are minimal in county jails,” says Pastor incoming prisoners had to survive on bread budgets, more jurisdictions are turning to Kenneth Glasgow, who works in prisoner and water until they’d served a certain private companies such as Aramark and outreach in the state. amount of time, at which point meat and Trinity Services Group, both of which have The privatized food-service model has cheese were added to their diets. Decades been the subject of countless complaints become something of a hot potato. In 2015, later, with the culinary revolution that from prisoners about the food they are the Michigan Department of Corrections emerged alongside the growing knowledge serving—grievances that continue to be fired Aramark as its food-service contractor about human nutrition, prison meals ignored. “They don’t have a choice,” says after finding that food had come into were generally regarded more for their Jim O’Connell, a Trinity spokesperson. contact with rodents and maggots. The calorie content than as a way to control. “We could have a bigger discussion of why contract has since been passed onto Trinity “Healthy prisoners, it was believed, would they’re there to begin with. But you’re Services Group, which is facing claims that be productive workers and, ultimately, served what you’re served.” the food it’s serving is rotten, too dry to eat, reformed citizens,” writes criminologist When complaints go unheeded, and in portions that are smaller than ever. Mary Bosworth in Encyclopedia of Prisons prisoners and their advocates often Making matters worse, Trinity reportedly and Correctional Facilities. “Even so, some take matters from the jailhouse to the hired many of the employees Aramark institutions, such as Alcatraz, deliberately courthouse. Recent lawsuits have revealed let go when it lost its contract. “The only offered a daily total of at least 5,000 that while privatized menu plans may thing they did was switch the employees’ calories, combined with minimal exercise, meet nutritional guidelines on paper, the shirts,” Lamont Heard, a prisoner in to make prisoners more lethargic and less actual portions served are inadequate Michigan’s Kinross Correctional Facility, likely to engage in violent behavior.” to sustain healthy bodies. This means told the Detroit Metro Times. “It’s the same These days, US prisons are mandated higher profits for companies—and people. They just switched the title, but to offer inmates about 2,200 calories a day. dramatic weight loss for inmates. One the food is worse. Everything is worse than Because the food is provided by an outside former prisoner who sued a New York with Aramark.” contractor or the institution itself—which Montgomery County jail in 2014 said he Jails and prisons not using private includes federal prisons (run by the lost 24 pounds in five months at the facility, contractors must still deal with budget

24 VegNews MARCH+APRIL 2017 PRISON CONFIDENTIAL constraints, of course. Tim Thielman, who oversees food services for the Ramsey County Correctional Facility in St. Paul, MN, says he buys and vegetables according to season, which helps reduce cost. “For example, a watermelon costs me about $15 in the winter, versus $4 in the summer.” Prison food quality is often not only diminished by thin budgets, but a lack of flavor. “A large majority of the population in my facility have health problems, and we need to cook without salt and spicy ingredients,” says Thielman, who is also president of the Association of Correctional Food Service Affiliates. “I also do not buy or grow any spice that could be used to assault staff or other inmates, such as hot peppers or crushed red peppers.”

Carrot and stick Inherently, the prison industrial experience involves very few choices— certainly around what inmates can eat. But the choices around food in federal prison marginally improved last October when all 102 US federal prisons began offering including prison officials, 85 percent of ON THE MENU a vegan entrée for breakfast, lunch, and inmates chose to . All US federal prisons now dinner. According to Bureau of Prisons Some prisoners come to the offer inmates a vegan entrée spokesperson Justin Long, the national hard way. Former inmate Intelligent Allah, option at each meal. menu is reviewed at least once a year to imprisoned for nearly 19 years in New York, Vegan breakfast assess operational impact, cost, nutritional says going vegan while incarcerated was a Fresh fruit content, and inmate eating preferences. natural extension of the compassion he felt Hot oatmeal In 2016, enough demand was recorded toward the man he had killed. “A lot of guys Whole wheat bread that a vegan alternative was introduced. in prison lack control—they’re caught up Jam “The Bureau seeks to provide a variety in what they think manhood should be,” of options, including vegan options, he says. “I took a guy’s life in a street fight. which also support religious dietary Empathy soon became a theme in my life. provision can sometimes be extended accommodations,” says Long. Empathy for the guy first, then compassion to veganism, however. In 2015, prisoner Though the majority of county jails for animals.” George Hall won his lawsuit against the and state prisons don’t offer vegan meals, Allah sometimes found maintaining Michigan Department of Corrections after there are some exceptions—most notably his compassionate diet behind bars a he argued that his Messianic Jewish faith Florida’s Department of Corrections, challenge—a common complaint from restricted his diet to foods that contained which has served vegan meals statewide vegan inmates. But prisoners are rarely no animal products whatsoever. since the mid-1990s. In the late-1990s, able to sue correctional institutions for not the Victor Valley Medium Community honoring their ethics, says Alex Friedmann, Jailhouse wok Correctional Facility in Adelanto, CA associate director of Human Rights For the more than 2 million men, women, hosted what some considered an Defense Center, a nonprofit advocating and juveniles incarcerated inside one outlandish new program. Officials there for prisoner rights. “Legal recourse is only of the more than 5,000 jails, prisons, separated the prison into two sections and available if prison food rises to the level and correctional facilities in the United allowed inmates to choose which side they of a constitutional violation, which could States, food can be a grim reminder of wanted to live in. On one side, they would occur if, for example, it is basically inedible, their , or it can be a source be served standard institutional fare; on if food poisoning or a death due to food of pleasure. “Bad food is definitely a the other, they would receive vegan food allergies results, or if corrections officials painful reminder, and most of the food is and be required to participate in anger fail to provide religious diets required bad,” says Jan Smitowicz, who managed management classes, job training, and pursuant to a prisoner’s faith—such as to remain vegan during his two years in bible studies. To the surprise of many, kosher or halal meals.” The religious various Illinois prisons, often by making

VEGNEWS.COM VegNews 25 his own meals. a hot dinner, says Laurie Maurino, RD, JAIL JARGON Like Smitowicz, inmates who can departmental food administrator for the Here is an A-to-Z of food-related afford to, buy food supplies from the California Department of Corrections and . prison commissary—or otherwise Rehabilitation. But they do have other obtain foodstuffs from the kitchen or choices. “Currently, we offer a vegetarian other inmates via the prisoner-run black diet [option],” she says, “so they can aggie \'a-g \ market. They routinely skip the chow get an alternative to meat items on the Garden hoe line and prepare meals in their cells. This menu, such as peanut . At night, requires ingenuity and resourcefulness, we can take off the meat entrée and give especially when an inmate has no access them an extra scoop of beans or some bean slot \'b n slät\ to a microwave or cooking utensils. other item that’s got some protein in it.” The opening in the cell door where food One of the hacks Daniel Genis learned The state’s general-population menus is delivered in his 10 years behind bars was how to have about 100 grams of protein in them, create a contraband “stinger”—a heating says Maurino, which is twice as much as choke sandwich device made from a power cord and they need. “The rest of our menu items nail clippers. “Separate the two sides of are vegetarian-compliant … the only \'ch k san(d)-wich\ the nail clippers, attach each side to the things with animal ingredients are the A peanut butter sandwich with no jelly positive and negative wires of the power meat items.” The budget for this is $3.45 cord, plug the cord into an electrical per day per inmate—for all three meals. chow \'cha \ outlet, and drop the clipper sides into a cup filled with the cold running water Savoring solutions Institutional meal available in each cell,” he explains. “Salt With food contributing so much to an the water, and then drop some uncooked inmate’s mental and physical wellbeing, commissary \'kä-m -ser- \ ramen noodles into the now vigorously many agree that the system that feeds Prison-operated store where food, boiling water.” Genis even turned a hot them needs reform. Budgets may hygiene products, and clothing are sold pot and tin can into a wok for stir-frying. be tight, but serving meals that are Preparing meals this way might seem unappetizing or nutritionally insufficient primitive, but it can go a long way toward comes painfully close to cruel and hot pot \'hät pät\ building inmate camaraderie, says unusual punishment. Device sold in the commissary used to Smitowicz. “Food brings people together, Of course, it must also be questioned heat water to a low temperature probably even more so in prison. For why there are so many prisoners to feed special occasions—like, say, the Super in the first place. While violent crime Bowl—I’d see six, eight, 10 guys go in has been declining in the US, prison mud \'m d\ together on a giant, special meal that populations have tripled since 1980. Coffee took hours to prepare and cost probably The ugly reality is that prisons have $50 to $80 per guy, with each acquiring become an industry, with inmates as pruno \'prün \ one or two items from the commissary the commodity. Not only are prisoners Homemade alcohol made from fruit, the week before, planning it all out in a source of involuntary labor—used to bread, and anything with sugar—also complex detail.” make everything from license plates called hooch Most prison meals, however, are to clothing, and forced to work in eaten in the chow hall, where inmates are served standard fare. Hamburgers, spread \'spred\ potato salad, and meatloaf are popular Gourmet prison meal, often used to options with prison officials, since these describe big potlucks put together by are inexpensive foods. a group of inmates In California state prisons, inmates are given a hot breakfast, a sack lunch, and stinger \'sti - r\ Contraband heating element made from metal, designed to boil water Vegan lunch Soy chicken patty Pinto beans zoom zooms \'züm zümz\ Lettuce and tomato salad Snack cakes and cookies Choice of dessert or fresh fruit Artificially flavored juice or water

26 VegNews MARCH+APRIL 2017 PRISON CONFIDENTIAL

VEGANISM, RELIGION, & RIGHTS For some inmates, vegan meals are legally guaranteed, and can even be fought for.

To maintain a vegan diet in prison, many inmates are Vegan dinner forced to supplement their Spaghetti with marinara sauce meals with overpriced foods Canned spinach from the commissary. This is Whole wheat bread both expensive and, for some Artificially flavored juice or water inmates, a violation of their rights, says David Fathi, director of the American Civil Liberties dairies and —but their a properly balanced vegan diet is more Union National Prison Project. very presence behind bars represents than just nutritious and satisfying—it “Prisons have a default menu enormous profits for privately run prisons also fosters a respect for all life. In for everyone, and there are and the food, healthcare, and security the case of the Victor Valley Medium two ways to get an exception,” companies that service them. The mass Community Correctional Facility, the he explains. “The first is for incarceration of young men and women— results of their vegan program were medical reasons; a prisoner mostly people of color—for petty offenses astounding—the divisions among must be provided a diet keeps the prison industrial complex various racial groups typically seen in consistent with her medical viable. Addressing the nutritional needs prison were reportedly non-existent needs. The second is religious,” of these burgeoning populations is a on the vegan side. Moreover, while he continues. “Under the First growing challenge. California’s recidivism rate at the time Amendment, prisoners are According to Friedmann, a former was 95 percent, during the seven years to be given meals in line with prisoner himself, what we need is a new of the vegan program, the Victor Valley their religion.” way of thinking. “First, corrections officials facility had a recidivism rate of less than If a prisoner has a religious need to recognize that prisoners are 2 percent. “What we eat not only affects obligation to abstain from people who deserve to be treated with the us physically, but it affects our mental (if they minimum dignity and respect afforded attitude, our aggressiveness, and our to those who are not incarcerated,” he ability to make good decisions,” explains are Jainists or Mahayana says. “The notion that prisoners do not Julianne Aranda, the nutrition services Buddhists, for example), deserve nutritious and palatable meals— coordinator of the prison. then the prison is required to or at least food that is not spoiled, past With prison officials trying to squeeze accommodate them. In 2000, its expiration date, or marked ‘not for every cent from their food budgets, Congress underscored this by human consumption’—must be rejected. converting to an all-vegan menu makes passing the Religious Land Use That would require lawmakers and more sense than ever. Buying - and Institutionalized Persons policymakers to ensure prison and jail based ingredients in massive quantities Act, which prohibits states from food budgets are adequately funded.” will go a long way to reduce expenses imposing substantial burdens It’s not that prisoners are asking for, and ensure that everyone’s dietary on the religious exercise of or should receive, gourmet meals, he needs are met, regardless of an inmate’s prisoners—including denying says. “Rather, they should at least be religious or ethical preferences. And, them vegan meals, if this is served food comparable to that served in who knows? If prisons take the lead, one way the inmate’s religion is public schools.” perhaps hospitals and airlines won’t be practiced. “Do prisons always As it happens, more of these schools far behind. comply?” Fathi questions. are offering vegan options in their “No. But then an inmate can cafeterias, a model that prisons and jails Mark Hawthorne’s latest book is file a lawsuit.” would do well to emulate. For prisoners A Vegan Ethic: Embracing a Life of like Intelligent Allah who reject violence, Compassion Toward All.

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