Vermont inmates call food foul, sue over it

[stephanie]

:popcorn:

updated 6:08 p.m. AKT, Sat., March. 22, 2008
MONTPELIER, Vt. - When shooting suspect Christopher Williams acted up in prison, he was given nutraloaf — a mixture of cubed whole wheat bread, nondairy cheese, raw carrots, spinach, seedless raisins, beans, vegetable oil, tomato paste, powdered milk and dehydrated potato flakes.

Prison officials call it a complete meal. Inmates say it's so awful they'd rather go hungry.

On Monday, the Vermont Supreme Court will hear arguments in a class-action suit brought by inmates who say it's not food but punishment and that anyone subjected to it should get a formal disciplinary process first.

Prison officials see nutraloaf as a tool for behavior modification.

"It's commonplace in other states as a way of providing nutrition in a mechanism that dissuades inmates from throwing feces, urine, trays and silverware," said Vermont Corrections Commissioner Rob Hofmann.

"It tends to have the desired outcome," Hofmann said. "Once the offender relents, we stop with the nutraloaf. That's our goal, to protect our staff and not have them subjected to behavior that the average Vermonter would find incomprehensible."

Punishment, plain and simple
Seth Lipschutz, an attorney with Vermont's Prisoner's Rights office, says the state has a legitimate interest in changing the behavior of inmates who misbehave.

But he says a diet of nutraloaf is punishment, plain and simple. To call it anything else is "playing with words to get what they want. It's wrong and it's sad," Lipschutz said.

read the rest..
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23761712/

[Joe Steel]

It doesn't seem that bad.


http://www.state.il.us/court/opinions/appellatecourt/2001/4thdistrict/october/html/4000895.htm

Single Meal Loaf Recipe

This recipe must be followed without substitution or variation in procedure. Any such change could effect the nutrient content.

2 oz Ground Beef
Brown off in kettle and drain thoroughly

4 oz Canned, Chopped Spinach
4 oz Canned Carrots, Diced
4 oz Vegetarian Beans
Open and drain all vegetables well

4 oz Applesauce
1 oz Tomato Paste
1/2 cup Potato Flakes
1 cup Bread Crumbs
2 oz Dry Milk Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder or Flakes

Combine beef and vegetables. Gradually blend in remaining ingredients until well combined. Mixture should be stiff but moist enough to spread. Each loaf should weigh 1 1/2 pounds precooked weight and be scaled to insure proper weight. Place mixture into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with pan release and lined with filter paper.

Each loaf should bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit in convection/steam oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the loaf reaches 155 degrees internal temperature.

Vegan Recipe

4 oz Canned, Chopped Spinach
4 oz Canned Carrots, Diced
8 oz Vegetarian Beans

Open and drain all vegetables well
4 oz Applesauce
1 oz Tomato Paste
1/2 cup Potato Flakes
1 cup Bread Crumbs
1 T Margarine
1 tsp Garlic Powder or Flakes

Combine drained vegetables. Gradually and gently blend in remaining ingredients until well combined but do not over beat. Mixture should be stiff but moist enough to spread. Each loaf should weigh 1 1/2 pounds precooked weight and be scaled to insure proper weight. Place mixture into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with pan release and lined with filter paper.

Each loaf should bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit in convection/steam oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the loaf reaches 155 degrees internal temperature.

[shattered]

Michigan case for guidance
A federal judge ruled in 1988 that the use of nutraloaf by the Michigan Department of Corrections was punishment.

Now, Michigan inmates are only given nutraloaf after going through the disciplinary process that lands them in segregation, department spokesman Russ Marlan said.

"It's done very infrequently, but it seems to accomplish its goal of preventing prisoners from using or abusing food or their containers in a way that could adversely affect our staff," Marlan said.

I'm REALLY not seeing a problem here.

[Missileman]

I'm REALLY not seeing a problem here.

Me either....if it's cheap, maybe it should be the only thing served. It'd be a real shame if prison were a "totally" unpleasant experience. :rolleyes:

[middleground]

it's not food but punishment and that anyone subjected to it should get a formal disciplinary process first.

Not that I care if inmates are happy or not BUT I think legally they actually have a case. If there is a policy that says that before punishment can be given, it must undergo some evaluation process then the inmates are justified in their complaint. Given that the prison officials have already said they use it for behavior modification pretty much makes it an open and shut case.

[shattered]

Not that I care if inmates are happy or not BUT I think legally they actually have a case. If there is a policy that says that before punishment can be given, it must undergo some evaluation process then the inmates are justified in their complaint. Given that the prison officials have already said they use it for behavior modification pretty much makes it an open and shut case.

What part of this: Now, Michigan inmates are only given nutraloaf after going through the disciplinary process that lands them in segregation, department spokesman Russ Marlan said.

...did you miss? If they've landed themselves in segregation, obviously they're not getting the more subtle "behave yourself, or else" hints. If they're going to waste perfectly good food by throwing it around, using it as a weapon, or just being assholes, they don't deserve anything more than birdfood. At least THIS way, all of the bodies nutritional *REQUIREMENTS* are being met.

[Missileman]

My Great-Grandmother used to do some things with leftovers that could rehabilitate a career criminal...:laugh2:

[Mr. P]

Prison officials see nutraloaf as a tool for behavior modification.


"It tends to have the desired outcome,"
Now if they'd just apply this process to the whole prison experience perhaps we'd have a great deal less repeat offenders!

Prison, punishment...makes sense to me.

[middleground]

What part of this: Now, Michigan inmates are only given nutraloaf after going through the disciplinary process that lands them in segregation, department spokesman Russ Marlan said.

...did you miss? If they've landed themselves in segregation, obviously they're not getting the more subtle "behave yourself, or else" hints. If they're going to waste perfectly good food by throwing it around, using it as a weapon, or just being assholes, they don't deserve anything more than birdfood. At least THIS way, all of the bodies nutritional *REQUIREMENTS* are being met.

While I admittedly missed that as I hadn't read the entire article, it appears that Michigan and Vermont are two different states. Just becuase Michigan used it in conjunction with other disciplinary action doesn't mean Vermont implements its use in the same fashion. If anything, citing Michigans use only reinforces the notion that it is a punishment.

[Gaffer]

The meal is only part of the punishment. When I worked in the jail we locked the disciplinary inmates in a special cell pod. They were allowed out for one hour a day by themselves to shower and walk around. They were fed the nutraloaf for all three meals. They could eat it or go hungry. Ohio has been using this method since the 80's. And the idea came from california. We called it the california loaf.

The fact they are complaining about it in VT is just the prisoners trying to take control of the prison through the courts, and the Vt courts, being liberal weenies will go along with them. In Vt they don't believe in punishing criminals.

[DragonStryk72]

What part of this: Now, Michigan inmates are only given nutraloaf after going through the disciplinary process that lands them in segregation, department spokesman Russ Marlan said.

...did you miss? If they've landed themselves in segregation, obviously they're not getting the more subtle "behave yourself, or else" hints. If they're going to waste perfectly good food by throwing it around, using it as a weapon, or just being assholes, they don't deserve anything more than birdfood. At least THIS way, all of the bodies nutritional *REQUIREMENTS* are being met.

This was in Vermont, which part of that did you miss?

They are right, this is being used specifically as a punishment, they aren't even trying to get rid of it, simple get it treated as the punishment that it already is. Currently, they are getting punishment, but without any form of oversight, and yes, that is wrong.

[DragonStryk72]

The meal is only part of the punishment. When I worked in the jail we locked the disciplinary inmates in a special cell pod. They were allowed out for one hour a day by themselves to shower and walk around. They were fed the nutraloaf for all three meals. They could eat it or go hungry. Ohio has been using this method since the 80's. And the idea came from california. We called it the california loaf.

The fact they are complaining about it in VT is just the prisoners trying to take control of the prison through the courts, and the Vt courts, being liberal weenies will go along with them. In Vt they don't believe in punishing criminals.

Gaffer, they aren't calling for it to be gotten rid of, just that if it is being used as a punishment, that it be treated as a punishment, and go through the proper channels, as per the laws existant in the prison system already. That is not trying to control the prison, just create uniformity to it.