Penitentiary wants public to "break in" for Prison Food Weekend
PHILADELPHIA -- As culinary festivals go, the upcoming "Prison Food Weekend" at the Eastern State Penitentiary in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia is not likely to set your mouth to watering.
The "special" is Nutraloaf, CBS Philly reports -- and the public is welcome to sample the minimalist fare that some say resembles a breakfast muffin -- and that many prisons still serve up as punishment.
Indeed, some have argued that Nutraloaf is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. NPR reports that "scientists say it's the monotony of eating the loaf that's the real punishment." According to NPR, Nutraloaf in Pennsylvania is often made from milk, rice, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, oatmeal, beans and margarine.
Vermont prisoners mounted a court challenge to serving Nutraloaf, CBS Philly reports, and a spokesman for Pennsylvania's Eastern State Penitentiary told the station that in Vermont "The Department of Corrections had to give each inmate who was going to eat Nutraloaf a hearing," and there's a suspension on serving it.
The Philadelphia lockup staging the Prison Food Weekend June 6 and 7 says "Visitors...can sample Nutraloaf created using the official recipes from five U.S. states. They can then record their thoughts on a tasting card and decide for themselves whether serving Nutraloaf is a form of cruel and unusual punishment."
Btw -- the prison says visitors will not only be able to sample Nutraloaf, but "chi chi" will also be available. That, CBS Philly explains, is an inmate creation made from a combination of food from the commissary and vending machines, and mixed together in a trash bag.
Ooh, better cancel all other plans.