In an article published in the Washington Post, Edmon Ross, a spokesman for the BOP, said that the decision to remove pork was based on a food preference survey given to the inmates, adding, ” People are more health conscious these days. Some people chose to be vegetarian or vegan.”
While I do not know Mr. Ross personally when I read his official statement I was reminded of a song by an 80’s band known as The Thompson Twins: “Lies, lies, lies…get out.” (“Lies”). And when pork was reinstated Mr. Ross had no statement at all.
The fact of the matter is, months ago we inmates were informed by the Food Service Administrators at our institutions that pork was being removed from the National Menu to accommodate the Muslim prisoners. But to me the issue of pork, per se, is irrelevant. Instead, I want to zero in an the false assertion that some seemingly all-caring federal prison officials are somehow looking-out for the dietary needs of “health conscious” federal inmates.
First, let me start at the beginning.
My journey through the federal prison system began in September of 1998 at the United States Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. After having no choice other than to eat three meals a day of bland-tasting food that consisted of no more than a mere 2,000 calories in all, once I stepped foot in the chow hall at Leavenworth for the first time it was like I had died and gone to convict heaven. There were four soft-serve ice cream machines pumping out creamy chocolate and vanilla love; soda-fountains with an assortment of flavors flowed freely; and in the middle of the kitchen were two salad bars and an equal amount of hot bars, the former with fresh vegetables and all of the trimmings (bacon bits, croutons, ect.), while the latter had a variety of hot, stemming soup, bread-sticks and crackers. As for the main-course, I can’t recall exactly what that first meal was, but rest assured it was descent, pleasant-tasting food, not some poor-quality, over-cooked, leathery meat or mushy pasta.
And breakfast the following morning didn’t disappoint. Not only were we served bacon, eggs, and fresh made biscuits, but the salad bar had been converted into a cereal bar, with no less than three name-brand cereals (Sugar Smacks, Lucky Charms, Corn Flakes to name a few) for our eating pleasure, and a choice of plain or chocolate milk. I remember calling my mom shortly after I arrived and telling her that the public would “flip out ” if they saw what we were being served.
“It’s actually wasteful, mom,” I remember telling her.