“The fact that this man has that kind of preference shows the double standard in the criminal justice system and in the detention system,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, an iconic civil rights activist and founder of the National Action Network.
His lawyers have argued in court documents that he requires an organic diet because of his faith in shamanism, an ideology that is “centered on belief in supernatural phenomena like the world of gods, demons and ancestral spirits”.
Sharpton, who has been arrested and in custody of state and federal facilities more than 30 times after protesting injustices, said some prisons can respect an inmate’s request, especially if it is a religion-based diet. But “sometimes this is not likely”.
“In state prisons, you eat what they give you or starve to death … it is an absolute and punitive punishment in addition to indifference to human rights and dignity,” Sharpton said. “In the federal government, they have different protocols and ask if you have any food or religious preferences.”
A look at federal prison food
But if convicted and sentenced, Chansley, who is a federal defendant, is likely to be transferred to a BOP facility.
Inmates in federal custody receive a variety of breakfast items, including hot oats, bread, jam and fruits, according to a copy of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) 2020 national menu, which was shared with CNN. For lunch and dinner, there is a five-week rotating menu that includes beef or soy tacos, tuna or hummus salad, and pepper or lentil steak, says the menu.
Justin Long, a spokesman for the BOP, said fresh fruits and vegetables are served daily, and “prisoners have the option of choosing between regular, heart-healthy or meatless starters for every meal, including vegan options.”
“The quality of the food served to our prison population is a priority for the Bureau of Prisons,” said Long. He was unable to confirm whether the food served at the BOP facility is organic.
“Contractors selected and paid by the government to provide food for prisoners are expected to meet contractual and other standards,” said Kenneth R. Dieffenbach, Special Agent in Charge of the Justice Department Office of the Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office.
“When they supply adulterated products, as the defendants allegedly did here, the government is deceived and the health and safety of prisoners is put at risk.”
Black and brown people receive “terrible food” daily, advocates say
Leslie Soble, a researcher at Impact Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates criminal justice reform, said that feeding detainees in correctional facilities in the United States is “completely unprecedented.”
“Chansley is a striking example of white privilege and racial injustice,” she said, referring to his ability to obtain these foods and also to move facilities for that.
The report, based on responses from nearly 500 people and family members who were already in prison, found that in many cases, the food served is not safe, unattractive and has low nutritional value.
“Someone told us that the only time they would get chocolate milk was when the milk spoiled,” said Soble, who did extensive research on the food served in prison.
While most facilities require meals to include vegetables and fruits, says Soble, what is being served varies from a spoonful of apple puree, pieces of canned fruit and canned green beans. In most states, Soble estimates that prisons spend between $ 2.50 to $ 3 per person on meals a day.
When asked about the food served in the Alexandria prison, an Aramark spokesman told CNN that all correctional facility menus are designed by “registered nutritionists to meet nutritional needs” specified by each individual facility and guidelines set by American Correctional Association.
Sharpton said he believed there should be a federal law to deal with prisoners’ nutrition, since not everyone in prison is convicted of a crime.
Some just can’t pay bail yet, he said, and “they are treated as less than human, there is no regard for their health. There is no regard for their food preferences.”
“It should be a law in the United States that we do not incarcerate people and compel them to eat food to survive on state-provided livelihood that is contrary to whatever their health, religious or food preferences,” he said.
Soble saw how the decision to comply with Chansley’s request for organic food drew criticism and hopes that this will lead more people to question why having poor quality prison food has become the norm.
“Why is it acceptable to use food as a punishment for people who are incarcerated?” Soble said.