Week of January 1 - Prison Food - Disparity in Quality/Quantity?

[Jims]

PRISON FOOD - DISPARITY IN QUALITY/QUANTITY??

One of the issues that the HJR80 committee should look into as they examine issues related to long-term prisoners is the disparity in the quality and quantity of food served at the various prisons. I have now heard from three different inmates transferred out of Menard to 3 different medium security prisons (Hill, IRCC, and Lawrence) who are delighted by the better food offered at their respective prisons. One inmate went so far as to say the food at Lawrence is “100 times better” than the food at Menard. They are served bigger portions and better tasting food.

So I wonder, is this a function of the various security levels? Does food increase in quantity and quality as security level decreases? If it’s true that the food at the maximum security joints is horrible, so horrible that many inmates choose to eat the snack food from commissary rather than the chow hall food, then what must it be like at Tamms?

Should the food be worse for higher security inmates? Is this part of their punishment?

Basic necessities such as food, clothing, and medical care should be equal at all the prisons. The punishment should be in the sentence they receive, the higher number of years they must serve. In fact, I believe that a prisoner with a long-term sentence should start out at a maximum security joint, but should be allowed through good behavior and achievement to work his way up to lower security level prisons.  Most guards will tell you that the older inmates who have been incarcerated for 20 or more years are the least troublesome of the population. Why, then, should they have to rot away in maximum security until they die? Some are allowed to move to high mediums once they turn 50. But it’s not a given. Those not serving LWOP can move to lower level prisons once they are within so many years of release. Transfers to lower security prisons should be earned through good behavior and not given only to those with diminishing sentences.

A sentence of Life Without Parole is punishment enough. A life behind bars. A life without freedom, without family, without any semblance of a normal existence. Society needs to understand that the punishment is being locked away from family and society. Nothing else needs to be inflicted upon them. If prisons allowed all inmates to work, if they provided classes for them take, peer group counseling, book clubs, art therapy, charitable outlets – the end result would not be that the inmates would feel pampered! Prison would not become desirable. Again, the punishment of prison comes from the lack of freedom and the institutionalization. I doubt very much if Martha Stewart would like to go back to Alderson even though her stay there was not harsh. It was still prison.

Critics would decry that prisons have become too much like summer camp. I disagree. Allowing structured activities and providing work opportunities would go a long way towards meeting the supposed goal of corrections to rehabilitate inmates, even those serving life sentences. And certainly, basic necessities such as food should be equal.

How are meals planned for the inmates? Is each prison responsible for meal planning? Or is it done in a central location? Does the monetary allotment per inmate change according to location? Does anyone in Springfield oversee and manage the food being distributed to the prisons and fed to the inmates?

On IPT we have an excellent representation of family members with inmates at most of the prisons. Let’s keep track of the meals that are served to our inmates for the next few weeks and do a comparison. I’ll also contact the IDOC and see if menus are available for the various prisons. Then we can see if they match up to what is actually being served.

Jim has told me, for instance, that the few times that salads are served, they can easily be eaten in two bites. Fresh fruit consists of the occasional apple and banana. No beef is served; it’s all soy product. Breakfast is predictable, and served very early in the morning so that by the time the inmate gets up, what was supposed to be served hot is cold, and what was supposed to be served cold is warm. Cereal used to be served in a little box, but now inmates get a handful of cereal in the Styrofoam tray and are expected to pour milk from their little pouches into the tray and eat it. And of course, the servings are not equal. One tray may have a decent serving while a cellie’s tray may have half as much. When they serve oatmeal or cream of wheat, they also include a piece of toast – served smashed into the cereal. Pancakes and sausages are served cold.

I understand that IRCC has pretty good breakfasts by comparison. The only problem is, the inmates have to get up at the crack of dawn to go to chow. I’ve heard some places start serving breakfast as early as 3:30 a.m.! I’d be buying Pop Tarts at the commissary if that were the case.

So, out of curiosity, let’s keep track for awhile and do a comparison of what is being served. I’m interested in what the meals consist of as well as the portion sizes and the quality of the food being served.



*For a complete index of previous IPT editorials click here: http://xsorbit30.com/users5/illinoisprisontalk/index.php?board=92.0

[mamacita1]

Happy New Year Jims ny5

My son (recently encarcerated) that he has met many prisoners from Menard who were transferred to Hill.  The ones that have been in the system longer are much less troublesome than the new ones..they are more mellow.

But he also said that these transferees hate Hill - it is apparently filled with more punitive rules than Menard....

As for food, at Hill, breakfast is served at 3:30 - 4:00AM, lunch at 9:00AM, and dinner at 4:30PM. He often skips breakfast.  As he has nothing but Cook County (where portions were very minimal) to compare with...but fortunately, I always taught him to appreciate vegetables...and other inmates willingly share with him what they would just throw out (he gives them his bread).

If this discrepancy does indeed exists between facilities based upon their levels, it does seem grossly unfair.  When I speak to my child again, I will begin taking notes as to what was served...this is indeed something that I can contribute towards the IPT group.  Such discrepancies is unfair, particularly if monies designated for food are the same for all prisoners.

But I want to offer just something to think about.  I was raised in foster homes, orphanages, and group homes.  Therefore, in a way, I am a product of institionalization, particularly when I was in the orphanage.  What I did notice that different meals (I worked in the kitchen) was prepared for us, and different meals were prepared for those who were our caretakers.  I used to sallivate at what the nuns/priests got at the orphanage...I am wondering if food monies also feed the staff???I am also wondering if monies for food allocated per prisoner is strictly adhered to...

[colorblind]

I worked in food service for 12 years and I have a couple of ideas why things may be how they are.  I know feeding hundreds or thousands of people 3 meals a day takes a lot of work.  I think the breakfast comes so early so that a meal is pushed into each work shift, so the day shift (7-3) isn't overworked by preparing breakfast and lunch.  So night shift does breakfast.  And I saw a special about how they were going to improve school lunches because they were buying food from a big supplier that contracted to prisons and they didn't want the kids to have that poor quality food - needless to say I was insulted.  Those big food distributors have different selection regionally, thats why vending machine food varies form prison to prison, it depends who gets the contract for that area. Then it all depends on the kitchen management for prep and presentation and portion size.  You know the state pays as little as possible.  I saw on TV that the men in Guantanamo Bay get something like 3200 calories a day, actually too much food, but that is  a Federal contract, not state.  You know how the Feds waste our money.

[dancer]

I think you are correct color blind, that the timing is spread out so the work is on different shifts.
I've tried to get E to write out menus at Stateville, without success. When he was in seg he lost so much weight in just three weeks that I was worried and called there.  Without food from commissary he was losing weight quickly.
 I do know that they get a lot of fresh vegetables there,  grown on the Stateville farm.  Also they get lots and lots of bean dishes with poor quality,  high salt,  American Cheese.  He refused to eat either.   He was way underweight. 
By contrast,  til recently R worked in Dixon's kitchen.  Officers would ask him to prepare food,  and would tell them they could fix 4 pieces of chicken each, etc. for himself and other inmates evidently working there in the kitchen.   He eats well.
I don't think  3200 calories is all that much food.  One man could be  120 pounds and another over  300 pounds.  Some are very active,  with large frames and will burn a lot of calories in a day.  Also some are still so young that they are still growing! One of my penpals at Tamms just sent me a warden's bulletin.  I don't have it in front of me, but basically it said that guys at a certain level where they could spend  $30 a month on food,  now had some high protein choices of food such as Tuna, Mackerel, peanut butter. 

[dancer]

If you want to get actual menus for a week,  we should pick a date starting in two weeks or so,  so that the letters requesting this would get there by that time. 

[Jims]

That's a good idea to pick a date. Let's just say February 1.

[EMERALD]

I have often asked my man in Tamms how the food is. He is on the "religous" trays. He never complains about the food, but I do know that he used to be a big muscular guy before going there, now because of having no excersise equipment and little space to do any excersise, he has lost all the muscle and is on the skinny side. He promised me that he would try to gain weight , so I promised to send him the funds to buy from store.  I will ask him to give me a weeks menus though, it should be interesting!  md

[muah]

My boyfriends buys alot of meat at the commissary.  he is on a pretty good exercise regime and supplements his diet with whatever he can.  Apparently the meat packs they sell are decent.  They can be pricey! But at the end of the day, it is importnat for him to maintain his health. 

It is too bad that it costs so much for them to maintain a normal healthy lifestyle. 

[EMERALD]

I do know that at Tamms, the commissary items are priced way higher than the other prisons. It depends on who supplies the goods and Tamms has an expensive supplier by all accounts. I wish my guy would eat meat, he eats vegetarian and I dont think they get enough protien on that diet.

[Scout]

It's my understanding that the prices at Tamms are higher because they are not stocked on-site, rather ordered each time from the provider.  If stocked on site they could buy in masss quantitities and thus, sell cheaper.  Cany anyone confirm this?

[MissnMoose]

I'll work on that menu starting 2/1.   When D. transferred from Logan to Dixon he said the food isn't really much better, but the portions definitely are.   Thank goodness he could get commissary at Logan.. what about the guys who don't have support and have no choice but to eat small portions.. it's not right.   Pisses me off when I think of all my tax dollars...   hmmm.. I think I'm thinking of an editorial now!

[Jims]

Good! Write one up! I agree - it stinks. What about those guys who have to try to get by on $9 per month? They probably have a hustle of one sort or another going, always risking seg time and the loss of privileges. But I would ask anyone, what would you do under those circumstances? You see your cellie chowing down on bags of chips and cookies and drinking pops while you're eating chow hall crap 3 times a day and starving? It is my understanding that larger inmates who are over a certain weight get two trays. Gee.... lucky them. They should get double state pay instead.

[dancer]

One of my penpals at Tamms was excited when they expanded their choice of foods from commissary.  He is a "seg,  level E" inmate.  I'm going off memory here,  but they could not buy more protein foods from commissary.  So the first time it was available he buys some.  Then almost immediately he is transferred to Pontiac where he is told he cannot have them,  they need to be destroyed.   Why don't they allow them to eat unopened commissary items purchased at another prison?   Very frustrating for them.
Well I'll be anxious to see and compare the menus at different prisons. 

[not the mama]

Just found this thread and i couldn't believe it! I was working on this issue in our county where all the food is from fast food places and the guys with diabetes are just told not to eat! Our guy is at Lawrenceand he is always hungry and with all the stuff of sttling in and then a couple weeks where he couldn't order commissary, he was starving! (well not really but he is 19 and still growing) The diest in Lee county kept him logy and anything but mentally sharp, and this one is making him hungry all the time! And some guys who should know have told you that the food is way better there?! Wow! I know wheni read the Lawrence website on IDOC the warden there was talking about howe thye had saved time and tons of money on food by reducing calories and cutting out hot breakfasts. I know this was talked about back i Jan-Feb of this year, but did anyone get the menus?? i would be interested since I have a freind at a;; but 5 of the CC'a. Thanks to our wonderful prosev\cutor out here who decided that anyone from our town who got arrested was 'going down'....that was one promise he kept!  Thank you!            not the mama frostie2