A healthy diet requires an appropriate balance of macronutrients, micronutrients, and caloric intake. A proper diet can reduce the prevalence of nutrition-related diseases such as diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and heart disease. In the United States, people in the carceral system experience a disproportionate amount of diet related illnesses. A special report by the United States Department of Justice found that 30% of incarcerated people have hypertension compared to 18% of the general population, 9% have diabetes compared to 6.5% of the general population, and 9.8% have heart problems compared to 2.9% of the general population. One factor suspected of contributing to this increased incidence of diet related illness is the high availability of processed foods and the limited availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in their prison diet. Processed foods are more frequently served in prisons due to cheap costs and long shelf life. Most correctional facilities and prisons outsource to private food vendors. Prison meals outsourced in this way are mass produced and cost around $1-$2 per meal.

Background Information

While processed foods are cheaper and more easily sourced, they tend to have high levels of sugar, cholesterol, and sodium, and limited amounts of essential micronutrients such as potassium, magnesium, and vitamin E. 

• In 2016, the California’s Department of Corrections food administrator stated the sodium content of meals averaged 3,500 milligrams per day. For reference, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) advises people to eat up to 2,300 milligrams per day. 
• A 2012 analysis of South Carolina correctional facilities found that inmates received an average of 97.5 grams of sugar per day, more than double the USDA’s recommended 41.8 grams. 
• While fruits and vegetables provide many micronutrients, prisons are often reluctant to purchase them because of their short shelf-life and limited seasonal availability. According to a report conducted by Impact Justice, around 62% of incarcerated individuals stated they rarely have access to any fresh vegetables, while 54% expressed that they rarely had access to fresh fruits. 

Potential Policy Solution: Prison Agricultural Programs

One way that prisons in the U.S. can offer healthier foods to incarcerated people is through prison agricultural programs. These are programs that connect prisoners with local farms. Through prison agricultural programs, incarcerated people can gain agricultural skills, provide fresh food to the prison population, and give back to the community by providing support to local farms. 

One such program is Planting Justice, which works to build gardens and create jobs for people transitioning from prisons in San Francisco. Individuals who go through the program have a 0% recidivism rate compared to the general 44.6% recidivism rate in California. Planting Justice provides a living wage to current and formerly incarcerated participants entering the program. Another prison agricultural program is Salvation Farms, an organization that partners with the Vermont Department of Corrections. Salvation Farms provides education, an outlet for productivity, and agricultural goods to incarcerated people. It aims to bridge the gap between agricultural surpluses and food distribution systems by partnering with various organizations and institutions across the food sector. By partnering with the Vermont DOC, Salvation Farms is able to provide fresh produce to incarcerated people in Vermont.

Positive Arguments of the Programs

• These programs improve nutritional quality for incarcerated people who choose to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables. This could potentially reduce the percentage of incarcerated people with diet related diseases and the healthcare expenditures associated with those diseases. 
• Prison agricultural programs can teach incarcerated people employable skills. Having those skills may lead to a reduction in recidivism if formerly incarcerated people have access to stable employment when re-entering society. The education received may also translate to healthier eating habits after re-entry into communities.
• Prison agricultural programs also provide an outlet for productivity, which can potentially improve the mental health of incarcerated people participating in agricultural related activities.

Negative Arguments

On the other hand, there’s debate over whether or not the net costs of prison operations are reduced when implementing prison agricultural programs. According to the correctional spokesperson for Wyoming County Correctional Facility, the farm that worked with the correctional facility lost $3.4 billion per year. In addition, security costs play a factor; extra security is needed when incarcerated people are working on the farms. Additionally, while fruits and vegetables are integral to nutrition, proteins and grains are also essential to a nutritious diet. Therefore, prison agricultural programs may fix some, but not all of the nutritional deficiencies present among incarcerated populations.