By Chasity West
In prison, justice is served over mashed potatoes, pasta,
rice, or between two slices of white bread. It might fill us up, but at what
price for the incarcerated and at what cost to the public? Healthier meal
choices in correctional facilities would not only improve the health of the
imprisoned, but would ultimately be more cost-effective for taxpayers and
create positive community relations.
Poor nutrition and obesity-related diseases are often among
the privations that come with prison life. As a whole, non-incarcerated people
neither know nor care what happens behind prison walls, and there seems to be
even less awareness and concern about the health and nutrition of the
imprisoned. However, since what a person eats can directly affect her health,
and health has become a public concern, anyone who pays taxes should care about
what correctional institutions are serving.
The primary objective of the Department of Corrections (D.O.C.)
dietician is to meet the minimum daily caloric intake required to sustain a
human being. Doing this cheaply is a paramount concern. This means procuring
and producing large volumes of foodstuff at minimal cost. Cheap,
easy-to-prepare meals generally consist of simple carbohydrates served
alongside a processed meat product drowned in gelatinous gravy. And
correctional institutions are smart when it comes to stretching a buck: larger
slices of cornbread and bigger scoops of rice mean fewer vegetables. In the book,
“A Woman Doing Life: Notes from a Prison for Women,” Erin George, a resident at
Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women in Virginia, makes a similar
observation. She notes, “The staples of the prison meal are foods that fill you
up but don’t substantially enhance your nutritional intake: watery, unpeeled
boiled potatoes; gummy spaghetti noodles; rice the omnipresent bread... [and]
unidentifiable meat known as the “patty": meatloaf patty, pork patty,
chicken patty, or sausage patty. Vegetables are scarce and frequently range
from merely aged to the obviously moldy. The same goes for the fruit” (88-9).
Oftentimes, the felon’s fare is so disagreeable that people
will bypass the dining tables and make a beeline to the trash receptacle. In
the same book, Robert Johnson, Professor of Justice, Law, and Society in the
School of Public Affairs at American University observes: “The food is bland
and starchy, measured in small portions and served in unappealing ways. In
these days of cost cutting, prisons are becoming less hospitable by the day,
sometimes serving food that is inedible by free world standards” (85). No one
(not even the people who have to eat it) expects prison food to be overly
appetizing, but it should be an identifiable member (or close relative of) one
of the five food groups and contain more food than chemicals, fillers or
byproducts. This way, we know not only what we are eating, but also what we are
not.
In Connecticut prisons, hunks of cake are served for
breakfast. Syrupy drinks fill Styrofoam cups at dinner. Even otherwise
nutrient-rich foods like vegetables and legumes are boiled down to mush and,
along with fillers, added to sauces, roux or thickened stocks and served over
any given starch. These types of foods and the way in which they are prepared
create spikes in blood glucose levels, elevate the blood pressure, clog
arteries, and increase adipose tissue, including belly fat - a known
contributor to heart disease. A prisoner’s provisions can create and/or
exacerbate these conditions. However, rather than averting illnesses, the
preference seems to be to treat them with expensive medications once they
occur. This does not save taxpayers money when comparing the cost of medication
and medical treatment to healthy vegetables or fruit choices.
The problem of obesity in prison has become endemic. Often
with weight gain, especially among women, come body image issues and depression
- yet another condition that may require costly treatment. In her essay, “Fat
is a Feminist Issue,” Susan Orbach empathizes with the overweight woman,
"Being fat isolates and invalidates a woman. Almost inevitably, the
explanations offered for fatness point a finger at the failure of women to
control their weight, control their appetites and control their impulses” (4-49).
In prison, it is not so much a matter of self-control as it is limited options
and accessibility to healthy foods - key factors in managing one’s diet so that
obesity and obesity-related conditions never develop in the first place.
Jonathan Cohn emphasizes the costly physical and financial effects of unhealthy
foods in his essay, Body Politics. Cohn writes, “Economists agree that the
treatment of these conditions - whether through prescription drugs to treat
high blood pressure or angioplasty to open up clogged arteries - is very
expensive." He continues, “As taxpayers, we all bear the burden of higher
medical costs. So, when some people choose to eat poorly, we all end up bearing
the financial burden for their decisions" (6). Chances are, most incarcerated
people would eat healthier if healthier foods were available. After all, we eat
what is provided to us.
In “Remarks to the NAACP,” addressing the epidemic of
childhood obesity, Michelle Obama proposed four practical solution that we can
translate to correctional facilities, as obesity is not just a problem in
schools but an institutional issue.
1) Take responsibility and make manageable changes
2) Find ways to increase exercise during everyday living
3) Replace sugary drinks with water
4) Be more thoughtful about food preparation (428-9)
Adopting these small changes can make a significant
difference in incarcerated people’s long-term health and taxpayers’ long-term
savings. Skeptics may wonder how this can be accomplished. But the answer is
simple: citizens need to urge the government to employ an agricultural
development program in every prison statewide that would teach incarcerated
people how to grow fruits and vegetables right on prison grounds,
Volunteers can be found in the community and in local
colleges that participate in agricultural training programs. Encouraging the
incarcerated to grow their own food would not only solve the issue of poor
nutrition and nutrition related-health issues, but creating gardens would also:
1) Increase self-esteem
2) Provide exercise
3) Alleviate certain forms of depression
4) Instill a positive work ethic
5) Supply a job skill
6) Defray the cost of food that would otherwise be purchased
from an outside vendor
Moreover, by developing good nutrition patterns, incarcerated
parents will be able to start a new health trend for their children, thereby
breaking the cycle of poor eating habits that cause weight gain and health
problems. As Obama said, “And this isn’t just about the example that we set as
individuals and families, but about the lifestyle we’re promoting in our
communities as well" (430). Statewide on-ground prison gardening programs
could be that simple, cost-effective change to “establish strong community
partnerships” (430) Gardens would build a link between the inside and outside
community by creating an avenue through which incarcerated people could donate
produce to soup kitchens, food pantries and other organizations that assist
disadvantaged members of society. The economic aspects of this program lie in
the fact that seeds are recyclable, vegetation waste can be composted, and
labor could be supplied simply by reallocating incarcerated workers. A program
such as this would quickly pay for itself. And it is possible: Back in 1917,
before attitudes shifted from rehabilitative leanings to punitive, the renamed
Janet S. York Correctional Institution was a successful work farm.
Radley Balko, in “What You Eat is Your Business,"
shares Michelle Obama’s sentiments in the matter of personal responsibility. He
writes, “Our government ought to be willing to foster a sense of responsibility
in and ownership of our own health and well-being” (396). Shifting the same
concern and responsibility to prisons would synthesize personal responsibility
with governmental accountability. The good thing is obesity - and most of the
medical problems that go with it - is reversible. Undoing obesity-related
diseases start with awareness and action. A good place to begin is by
pressuring state-funded institutions to eliminate unhealthy menu items and
insisting that the current staples served in these facilities be substituted
with foods of a higher nutritional content. Swapping harmful foods with foods
packed with vitamins and fiber can make a world of difference when it comes to
both disease and the almighty dollar. Holding the government responsible for
elevating the nutritional standards in prison will save money and lives.
I have been thin my entire life. I have tried my best to
manage my weight, to eat healthy and to exercise regularly; still, over time,
the weight has crept up on me. Although I am not obese, the scale now registers
twenty-five pounds more than it did when I came to prison fifteen-years ago. I
look around at the bloated women with multiple chins, puffy faces and swollen
bellies pregnant from carbs and fat, and I wonder in another fifteen-years from
now if I will have my own double chin. Will I look as if I have a bun in my
oven? Will I have hypertension, diabetes, plaque-coated arteries or be
cancer-riddled from ingesting chemicals and preservatives; problems that could
have been avoided simply by eating differently? When these prison doors open
for me, will I walk or wobble out of them? After being done in by prison food,
how much will it have cost me? How much will it have cost you?
If we readjust our thinking and recognize how indifference,
unawareness and the current management of diet and nutrition within
correctional facilities are costing taxpayers, perhaps people would begin to
care more about what goes on in prison and what goes into our prisoners. Prison
food does not have to be delicious, but it should not be deadly either. As long
as the state and federal government are allowed to serve unhealthy food to the
incarcerated, we will be getting far more than our just deserts. And you will
be the one picking up the tab.
Work Cited
Balko, Radley. f‘What You Eat is Your Business.” Cato.
Institute, Cato. Org, 23 May2004. Rpt. Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, and Russel
Durst. They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2" Edition
New York: W.W. Norton & Company (395-399). Print.
Cohn, Jonathan. “Body Politics.” The New Republic, 8 August
2005. Academic Search Premier. Web 10 March 2013.
George, Erin. A Woman Doing LW: Notes from a Prison for
Women. Ed. Robert Johnson. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
Johnson, Robert. “Hard time: Understanding and reforming the
prison.” Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, 2002. 85. Rpt. in A Woman Doing LW: Notes from a
Prison for Women. By Erin George. Ed. Robert Johnson. New York: Oxford
University / Press. 2010.
Obama, Michelle. “Remarks to the NAACP” National Convention,
Kansas City, MO. 12 July 2010 Rpt. in Graff et al. They Say, I Say: The Moves
That Matter in Academic Writing, 2"d Edition New York: W.W. Norton
& Company (417-433) Print.
Orbach, Susan. “Fat Is a Feminist Issue.” (1978) Rpt. in
Graff et al. They Say, I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, 2nd Edition New
York: W. W. Norton & Company (448-453).
Fish Patties (makes apx 18)
You`ll need:
3 packages of fish cakes: mackerel or tuna fish-do not drain
(any kind of packaged fish can be used)
2 tbsp dried onion flakes
2 tbsp hot sauce
Lemon pepper
1 tsp oregano
1-bag potato chips
apx 6 crackers finely crushed (any kind)
1/2 bar provolone cheese (shaved)
2 tbsp squeeze cheese
I tbsp Sazon
Crush potato chips in bag. Set aside. In a bowl, empty fish
packets and break apart with fork. Add in all ingredients. Mix well. Spoon fish
into the chip bag and combine. Check consistency. Since this depends on how
much liquid the fish is packed in (tuna tends to have much less liquid than
other packaged fish) you might have to adjust the content in order to attain
the right consistency. It should hold together nicely without being wet or dry
and crumbly, If it`s too wet, add in more cracker crumbs, if too dry add in
small amounts of hot water until it holds together without crumbling. Smooth
mixture flat in bag. Split chip bag along the seam and cut flattened mixture
into equal squares (apx 18-20). Form each square into a patty and return to
opened chip bag. Once patties are formed, slide chip bag into an insulated
brown paper bag and cook 25 minutes on each side (or until crisp) with a
hairdryer. Great with buttered rice or cheesy grits!
No-fry Fried Rice and Cabbage Rolls (serves 4)
You'll need:
1 bag of rice
1 hot sausage (cubed-small)
1 package pepperoni (cut into pieces)
1 package of chicken (may use chicken parties. If you use
chicken patties, you`ll need apx. 3.diced small)
Hot sauce
Sugar
1 tbsp butter
Apx 4 tbsp dried onion flakes
2 hot & spicy packets or chili (from Ramen Noodles)
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Chili powder (unsalted)
Honey
(* recipe can be modified for those who don`t like spicy
food. Just substitute hot sauce for bbq sauce and spicy packets for chicken or
beef and use a milder sausage instead of hot).
For Cabbage Rolls you'll need:
4 tortillas
2 cups coleslaw (rinsed and drained)
3 tbsp chipotle seasoning
2 tbsp lemon pepper
apx. 2 tsp each of garlic and onion powder
apx 3 tbsp. mustard
l package chicken (drained)
butter
For Rice:
Drain liquid from packaged chicken (set aside to add to
rice) and place chicken in a plastic bag. If using diced chicken patties, just
place in bag. Pour hot sauce over chicken to cover. Be generous. Sprinkle sugar
over chicken (apx 6 tbsp. May use sugar substitute). Add sausage and pepperoni.
Place in hot water to heat while preparing rice.
In a separate plastic bag, empty bag of rice. Add in
seasoning packets, onion flakes, butter, chili, garlic and onion powder and
reserved chicken stock. Sprinkle a small amount of hot sauce on dry rice and a
little sugar, apx. 5 or 6 tbsps (or 2-3 packets of sugar twin). Add in hot
water per cooking instructions. When rice is cooked, add chicken mixture to bag
and toss well. Divide into servings and drizzle with honey. Cabbage rolls
compliment this dish well.
For Cabbage Rolls:
Set aside 4 tortillas
Place coleslaw in bag with chicken and all wet and dry
ingredients. Mix well. Divide mixture into apx 1/2 cup servings and place into
tortillas. Roll tightly. Butter outside of tortillas and place into an
insulated brown bag. With a hairdryer, cook apx 15 minutes on each side.
(Helpful hint: lay cabbage rolls down on seam side during firs rotation so that
they will seal shut before flipping them). A delicious dipping sauce can be
made by combining 8-tbsp grape jelly, 2 tsp sugar (or l sugar twin) 4 tsp hot
sauce or just honey and a little mustard.
Both the fish patties and the fried rice are dishes that I
“invented” (although I’m sure others before me have come up with similar
recipes) and are the most requested and enjoyed foods that I make for myself
and for my friends.
Chasity West 266589
York Correctional Institution
201 West Main Street
Niantic, CT 06357
My name is Chasity West and I’m a lifelong native of
Connecticut. Prior to my arrest I worked
as a licensed nurse. In 1998 I was
sentenced to life without parole on a first offense. Since my imprisonment I
have written dozens of short stories, memoirs, essays and poems. I have immersed myself in many projects and
programs, including writing workshops, dance and yoga classes, college courses,
gardening and agriculture and drama classes. I think that prison can be a
catalyst for self-reform.