The Profit-Driven Prison System: A Detriment to Inmates and Their Families – More Prison Reform Is Needed!

President Trump’s signing of the prison reform bill was a step in the right direction, but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. The current situation with the J6ers has further highlighted the flaws in our justice and prison systems. The decision to entrust the responsibility of prisons to for-profit entities has not resulted in better conditions for inmates; instead, the priority remains solely on profit. The conditions that detainees are subjected to are deplorable, and families are forced to pay high prices for commissary and exorbitant fees for basic communication with their loved ones. While the patriot community has stepped up to help the J6ers, many others are forgotten, and they too deserve to be treated humanely.

One of the most direct consequences of the for-profit prison system is the abysmal quality of food served to inmates. The administration of prisons makes a great effort to cut costs, resulting in food that is barely edible and detrimental to the health of inmates (see article here). Bologna sandwiches, for instance, are a common meal, causing disastrous consequences for the health of those incarcerated. While many organizations are helping with the cost of commissary items, the solution would be to start and paying attention to this problem, increase the food budget and treat inmates better.

Attorney Carol Stewart is appalled and told us

God bless you. The county jails are profit machines and they make efforts to cheat prisoners of food and humane conditions. Fed: just inhumane. The US Marshals (us the taxpayer) pay a pretty penny to county jails to house fed detainees pre-trial. The profit mongers steal from what should go to prisoners. The cottage industry for exorbitant phone call and text messages is disgraceful. All these people belong in hell for their profiteering.

In fact, it is apparent that the J6ers are treated worse than other inmates, especially in terms of food and communication. We reached out to several inmates for their accounts, and the following testimonies will be disturbing to readers. Brian Mock spent many months at DC-CTF and is still bearing the consequences of his incarceration.

So there are obviously major issues with the diet in jail/prison. I developed high cholesterol for the first time in my life. It’s still high after leaving. And I had extensive blood work done approximately a year before that was perfectly fine. Dr in the jail said it’s common but usually goes away once people leave the jail and change their diet. Same with Pre-diabetes. Beyond that, the lack of nutrition leaves people sluggish, in a mental fog, irritable, etc

Brian Mock

Others testimonies are from several J6ers currently at the DC-CTF. They are in pre-trial detention and little has been done to remedy the horrible treatment they receive not only concerning the food. They have spent many month in solitary confinment. been put in the “hole” for various reasons including retaliation for filing out complaints.

Thank you for asking about the DC- Gulag’s food Service’s and the health consequences. I would say for the first year and half of our confinement we had to fight for so much when it comes to the the food here. During that time frame food was not served on heated carts and I honestly don’t remember getting a heated meal. That alone was a violation of DC-DOC policy. We fought weekly through the Grievance process and US Marshals Service to have this issue rectified it took them far to long to fix that issue, as it has all issue’s.

I can tell you that the portion’s they serve us are nowhere near the Standards for Federal Prison’s and if you had to rely on the food they serve alone you would surely be malnourished and in bad shape health wise.

There has been several occasions were we have been given spoiled or rotting eggs and not like one or two it has been 100’s and on every tray. This was documented and pictures were taken by Staff members only for the same incident to happen again.

I can also tell you that if your not on a diet tray the only meat you get is processed meat and rarely as in maybe twice a year do you get a real piece of meat. Its 90 % Turkey based processed meats all the time.

If you are on a religious diet ie. Halal or Islamic diet you get real Meat (Beef and Chicken). I have done a Grievance on this stating that Religious diets get better quality and better tasting food because they actually even put seasoning like salt and pepper.

I also stated that I was being discriminated against because I was a Christian. The Chaplin wrote me back and said that their food is Cultural. This is a lie because they get the same meals we get only theirs has real meat in them, although they do get humus once in awhile. This must of been what he was talking about LOL. Surely it couldn’t of been the real Meat hot dogs they get. I honestly never knew salt and pepper was a Cultural thing.

We receive everyday for lunch a cold tray which has either processed Turkey Bologna, Turkey ham, or Turkey Salami. Sometimes you get two hard boiled eggs that your usually scared to open because they may be rotten. There is usually about two spoon’s of Salad that if is lettuce its old and wilted most days or if it is noodle salad its literally 2 plastic spoons worth. You get four pieces of bread but the meat is so slim you usually only can fold it in one piece of stale bread and eat it. The quantity of the meat never comes close to meeting Federal Prison Standards.

Most days for evening meals you receive either nearly uncooked Beans and Rice the beans are like rocks they are so hard, or over cooked noodle Much that is literally formed into a solidified ball, or undercooked noodle dough mush that the noodles have turned back into uncooked dough. Their is usually a few pieces of processed Turkey burger in their somewhere. This is the standard here at the DC-Gulag.

I hope this information helps. God bless you.

Semper Fi

James McGrew
377892

Jailhouse fare is typically the cheapest you can find. The most processed. Low in protein and nutrients. The vegetables are boiled and then canned and reheated when served. The meat is very low grade beef. We never get meat off the bone it is always processed. Lots of fillers, bread, pasta, cornbread and cakes. Nothing on a healthy diet will be found on our trays. Bologna is a staple. Our cheese will not melt, it will blister but not melt. I think its mostly sawdust. If I could recommend food I would say we need fresh vegetables, fruit, and more protein. Fish, chicken, beef. Less rice, beans, bread, and pasta.
Shane Jenkins
377186

The food is totally unhealthy, not enough fruits and vegetables and fiber. They give us tasteless eggs that have already been pealed; we call them fake eggs. I suspect most of the food is GMO which causes inflammation in the body which leads to cancer. The water is unfiltered which I’m sure is loaded with aluminum and fluoride..bottled water, same thing. Most of the time the meat is unidentifiable and suspicious. And too much Bologna till hell won’t have anymore of it.
Eric Christie

My name is Chris Quaglin #378835. I have Celiac Disease. I have had constant issues with the food in the DC jail. I have been here a month and I still have issues with my diet from the kitchen. I cannot eat a lot of the meals I’m served. I have recorded a full breakdown of what I have been fed. When my diet is correct I do not get the proper amount of calories or fruits or veggies. I have filled out about 15 Grievance Forms but they are ignored. It is not safe for me to be fed the way the DC jail has done to me, considering my Celiac Disease. I have a wife and a newborn son waiting for me back home who are very worried about my health. Please pray for me.

Thank You,
Chris Quaglin
#378835

So you want to know what the food in the DC jail is like, eh? Well then read on, however, abandon all hope ye who enter this kitchen… The following is true so help me God.

A couple of weeks ago we were given some sliced “meat” that was similar in texture to bologna in order to make sandwiches for dinner. The meat was grey in color and was grey in flavor. (if grey could be a flavor, this was it). Nobody knew what type of “meat” it was, and many simply did not eat it.

There is another political prisoner in here with me that will give me his lettuce whenever he gets any. (typically once a week, maybe). Ever since he found worms in his salad he will not eat it. I, on the other hand, will eat any type of produce that is provided, regardless of the potential for eating critters, because this is how one prevents scurvy.

Last but not least, it has become habit that before one eats the sliced potatoes, one needs to go through them in order to pull out the slices that have dark grey and/or black spots on them. But yesterday’s potato slices were special because one of the slices had a nickel sized hole at the edge that had black rot all along the inside of the hole. I put that slice aside, next to the other slices I rejected, and then ate the remaining potato slices.

I am reminded of stories I have read that describe conditions in third world countries… Or is it that I am the one that is now being conditioned to have my home become a third world country?
Jeffrey Sabol
376906

By the strength of God pray for us! Now is the time to don the armor of God to step forth into the jaws of death and kiss the lips of danger. For it is dangerous for me to speak the truth of this disgusting prison.

Our food is put and molded together into a plastic container called a tray. There is no nutritional value that is served from a breakfast of 6 spoonfuls of cold grits with my kool aid pack stuffed into the middle of it. My 2 inch by 2 inch square of mostly raw sweet bread and a tiny cup of margarine. My butter used to come in cubes stuffed under a 1 1/2 inch circular meat-flavored soy disk, melted. On and on every morning.

Lunch is usually 1 small scoop of rice/meat, 4 slices of bread, juice pack, 3 cookies, and 2 spoons of mixed greens cooked to a mush. Dinner is typically 2 slices of slimy bologna, 2 slices unmeltable cheese, 4 slices of bread, juice pack, and 4 cookies. On and on.

Although there has been countless grievances filed and countless meals shown to the chain of command, nothing has been done to stave off the signs and symptoms of scurvy. Dry flakey skin. Reptile-like texture areas around my scalp are now cracked, flaking, and red. On and on.

If it wasn’t for this facility extorting money from inmates in the form of commissary we would be hungry. I ask the chain of command repeatedly if they would eat what we eat. I’m told to go to my cell and go hungry. On and on. This is unacceptable! I’m not a dog, hog, or beast! I am a human being! Starving kids in Africa eat better. God bless America.

Jeffrey McKellop
376887

For 9 months now, I’ve been imprisoned for crimes I did not commit. During that time I’ve endured appalling conditions like: medical neglect, threats from staff, solitary confinement, black mold, or rust water to drink. One of those conditions is also malnourishment. The food we receive is inedible much of the time. Either half cooked, overcooked, or simply disgusting mush-like soggy wet white bread. After a month or two of life here in the DC jail my skin began to “age”, wrinkling and crumbling off me. My nails quit growing and my hair was falling out in clumps. One of my fellow inmates gave me a nutrition shake that he had purchased on commissary, and literally overnight my deteriorating health reversed. My hair stopped falling out, my nails seemed harder, and in about a weeks time of drinking the shakes my skin was soft and normal again. I think I was slowly dying. If it weren’t for those nutrition shakes, I’m certain my health issues would have severely intensified!

What vegetables we do get are boiled, we don’t get meat we get soy patties, and our dinner (almost nightly) is bologna sandwiches and 3 cookies. Everything in this place is some combination of sugars, starches, carbs, and sodium. That’s all we get, if the food is even edible at all. Often times the bologna is grey and its always “sweaty”. Beans are often uncooked, hard pellets. Rice is often chewy or dry. Bread is almost always wet. I don’t expect cuisine in jail, but it must be edible. To treat any prisoner this way is unAmerican.

Sincerely,
Jessica Watkins
376520

My name is Kelly Meggs and I have been in the DC jail since March 2020. The food amounts we have been receiving are not in line with proper nutrition, as per there own guidelines. I have a copy of the actual Dietary Menu and what we actually receive. Here is one example of 2 meals from 9/31/21:

BREAKFAST

MENU SAYS- 100% juice, creamy whole grain oatmeal, creamy country gravy, bakery biscuit, 1% milk, fresh coffee w/ sugar.

ACTUALLY RECEIVED- 4 oz apple juice, 1 cup watery oatmeal, 1 scoop of watery “chili”, no biscuit, no milk, no coffee.

LUNCH

MENU SAYS- Oven baked fish patty, parsley rotini, carrots, enriched rolls, whipped margarine, iced lemon cake, sweet iced tea.

ACTUALLY RECEIVED- Tiny fish patty torn in half, pasta shells no cheese, 1 piece of white bread, 2 cookies (Oreo type), no cake, no tea, no rolls.

I’m not saying we are starving to death. But complaints about the portions or quality of the food get referenced back to the “Dietary Menu” which is great if it was being followed.

All of our beef is soy based. Portions are half of what they should be. Some nights dinner is just 2 pieces of cheese, 2 pieces of bread, and a small scoop of apple sauce. We have to depend on commissary to survive. Lack of vitamins must be replaced by health shakes we must purchase on our own.

A $1 box of Cheez-Its outside costs over $3 in here. Its basically a profit for them to underfeed us in here and overcharge us on commissary. Thanks to those good people supporting us on Give Send Go we will survive. All of your support is and will always be appreciated.
Kelly Meggs
376780

Food in jail can give you diabetes. Meals provided by the facility are typically sugar and carbohydrate heavy. The foods available from commissary for purchase are laden with sodium, salt, to make shelf stable without refrigeration. That diet linked with little motivation or opportunity for physical exercise can lead to unhealthy outcomes.
Kyle Fitzsimons
#376979

AJ Fischer who was detained in Florida at the Pinellas County Jail Federal pod has a similar observation concerning food.

Food was awful. Rarely had meat (hamburger or chicken), had processed mechanically separated “turkey” most days mixed with pasta or rice. Pretty sure it was just soy protein. Everyones estrogen was through the roof.

AJ Fischer