Post by thinkinkmesa on Aug 10, 2009 11:59:28 GMT -5
The recession is hitting hard at all sectors of society, from the wealthy on Wall Street down to prisoners locked up in the nation's penal institutions. States are cutting back on prison meals, hoping to save money.
Georgia prisoners now get only two meals a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ohio is considering cutting back on weekend breakfasts; Alabama reduced the amounts of milk and fresh fruits prisoners receive in order to save $700,000; and Tennessee cut back on milk for male prisoners to save $600,000.
Georgia officials say prisoners in the country's fifth-largest prison system are still getting the same number of calories -- 2,800 a day for men and 2,300 for women -- because breakfast and dinner portions are larger on two-meal days. The savings are expected to come in reduced food preparation staffing, as well as a reduction in energy costs.
Georgia's prison system's $1.1 billion budget was slashed almost 10 percent by the state.
Family members and critics worry that the meal reductions will have adverse effects on prisoner nutrition and safety. They say the changes increase the possibility of violence.
In February, a riot broke out in a federal prison in Texas over inmate complaints about poor food and inadequate health care. The riot came on the heels of a December uprising at the same facility.
Over 13 million people enter prison systems across the country annually. Approximately 95 percent of them will eventually be released back into society. Experts say substandard prison conditions contribute to an angrier, more violent population, which can in turn lead to increased crime after inmates are paroled or complete their sentences.
Critics also contend that cutting back on meals unnecessarily puts officials and staff working inside the prisons at greater risk. In 2005, federal and state correctional facilities reported a 27 percent rise in inmate-on-inmate assaults and a 32 percent increase in inmate-on-staff attacks.
To date, no lawsuits have been filed over the dietary changes in Georgia and other states.
www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/hard-times-prisons-slash-food-costs-to-save-cash-111756.php
Georgia prisoners now get only two meals a day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Ohio is considering cutting back on weekend breakfasts; Alabama reduced the amounts of milk and fresh fruits prisoners receive in order to save $700,000; and Tennessee cut back on milk for male prisoners to save $600,000.
Georgia officials say prisoners in the country's fifth-largest prison system are still getting the same number of calories -- 2,800 a day for men and 2,300 for women -- because breakfast and dinner portions are larger on two-meal days. The savings are expected to come in reduced food preparation staffing, as well as a reduction in energy costs.
Georgia's prison system's $1.1 billion budget was slashed almost 10 percent by the state.
Family members and critics worry that the meal reductions will have adverse effects on prisoner nutrition and safety. They say the changes increase the possibility of violence.
In February, a riot broke out in a federal prison in Texas over inmate complaints about poor food and inadequate health care. The riot came on the heels of a December uprising at the same facility.
Over 13 million people enter prison systems across the country annually. Approximately 95 percent of them will eventually be released back into society. Experts say substandard prison conditions contribute to an angrier, more violent population, which can in turn lead to increased crime after inmates are paroled or complete their sentences.
Critics also contend that cutting back on meals unnecessarily puts officials and staff working inside the prisons at greater risk. In 2005, federal and state correctional facilities reported a 27 percent rise in inmate-on-inmate assaults and a 32 percent increase in inmate-on-staff attacks.
To date, no lawsuits have been filed over the dietary changes in Georgia and other states.
www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/hard-times-prisons-slash-food-costs-to-save-cash-111756.php