Here's the Scoop...on Prison Food

"Look at this half scoop of oatmeal, man!" the prisoner at the next table complained loudly. "That guy on the line wasn't even giving out a full scoop."

"You're missing, like, three spoons worth, bro" the man sitting next to him retorted. "You aren't going to go hungry because you're three spoons short." 

Conversations like this are so commonplace in the chow hall where we prisoners eat our three meals a day that if I hadn't overheard this exact conversation (I've removed a few expletives) just a few days ago, I could have constructed it from the hundreds of others I've heard. I've even heard violent threats and heated arguments between prisoners because of portion sizes. Under-scooped portions are commonplace in prison where prisoners working the line are constantly harassed and harangued by staff members when they are too generous with their scoops. Additionally, some prisoners simply want to hurry through their shift so fast that they give little attention to the size of the portions they are doling. 

Is it petty for a prisoner to complain about his food portion sizes? Probably, but when the portion sizes already require many prisoners to supplement their diet, it is understandable for a prisoner to complain when he cannot afford the expensive store food and he is not given the appropriate portion in the chow hall. Furthermore, prison food leaves much to be desired, so when healthier options are served (like oatmeal), that is the most important meal of the day for some prisoners. 

Recently, the Michigan governor proposed a new budget that will eliminate the privatization of prison food service, returning to a state-run food service. The reason for this proposed change is the repeated failure of the privately run company to fulfill their contractual obligations. This includes unauthorized food substitutions, staffing issues (like not enough staff or inappropriate relationships with prisoners), and the introduction of contraband through staff, to name a few. While I am neither unhappy nor hopeful for this change back to state-run food service, I think it is unfair to assume that these problems with the private company will not (or did not) exist under state-run services. They did, and they will. 

Prisoners who have been down more than only a few years are, by and large, reluctant to be hopeful for any positive changes in the prison system, including returning to state-run food. The same budget concerns will exist, and the food quality is unlikely to improve. Some things may improve (one would hope), and perhaps that is the only realistic expectation we can have. 

Even if the food service responsibilities change hands, however, some prisoners will continue to do their jobs with little care or concern for prisoners on the other side of the serving line, and arguments and complaints over portion sizes are bound to carry on.