Keeping Kosher in Prison? Should states provide Kosher food to inmates?

[muman613]

This question is a tough one. In general I support the idea that a JEW should be offered kosher food if he desires it. This is a right which our great mentor and teacher Rabbi Kahane stood up for in the American courts. But as this PJTV video discusses that kosher meals are perceived as being 'better' than the regular prison meals, and many inmates are taking advantage of this (at a cost to the state taxpayers)...



http://www.jta.org/1975/08/18/archive/judge-rules-for-second-time-that-jewish-prisoners-have-constitutional-right-to-kosher-food

Judge Rules for Second Time That Jewish Prisoners Have Constitutional Right to Kosher Food
August 18, 1975
NEW YORK (Aug. 17)

Federal Judge Jack B. Weinstein of Brooklyn has ruled for a second time that Jewish inmates in federal prisons, specifically Jewish Defense League founder Rabbi Meir Kahane, have a constitutional right to kosher food. Judge Weinstein, who sentenced Kahane to a year’s imprisonment for violation of parole, also ordered last Thursday that Kahane, an Orthodox Jew, be provided kosher food when he was assigned to a federal minimum security prison in Allenwood Pa.

When federal prison officials notified Judge Weinstein they would not provide Kahane with kosher food, the judge ordered that he be detained at a half-way house in Manhattan and permitted time out to attend religious services and kosher restaurants. Last week government attorneys charged Kahane was abusing his release privileges and asked for his immediate transfer to the Allenwood prison. Kahane’s attorney charged the government with violating Judge Weinstein’s orders and obtained a habeas corpus writ under which government and defense attorneys and Kahane appeared yesterday in Judge Weinstein’s Brooklyn court.

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[TruthSpreader]

It's better than being served halal food.

[Rubystars]

I think kosher meals should be available to anyone who wants them. I don't think any prisoner should have to choose between starving and violating their religious beliefs. I don't see why they should cost more. Are vegetables suddenly more expensive, what about cans of Starkist, or jars of kosher peanut butter and jelly spread on some bread? I could see why the meat would be more expensive sometimes but why should prisoners be fed meat at every meal?

[Tag-MehirTzedek]

That testing would be a great idea.

[Spiraling Leopard]

Steamed vegetables is more than enough for inmates. Healthy as well.

[Sveta]

Kosher meals cost more because they have to be prepared in a special way. Separate from non-kosher meals, no mixing between meat and dairy, and supervised by a Halachic Authority, there has to be a hechsher. They need to pay the person who is supervising it and inspecting it. The leaves of the salads need to be washed in detail. The meat is slaughtered kosher and prepared in a kosher way, which is automatically more expensive than non-kosher meal.

In short, yes kosher meals will be more expensive.

It's great that non-Jews are interested in kosher meals. But in prisons, it seems more like they want to kosher meals not out of a spiritual reason but just because kosher meals are more palatable than non kosher meals. So I don't think non-Jews should have access to expensive kosher meals that the taxpayers pay for just because it's "better" tasting. If they were doing it for spiritual reasons then I would fully support non-Jewish inmates getting kosher meals. If anything, the prisons should serve better non-kosher meals to non-Jewish inmates.

[Havok]

It's better than being served halal food.

They serve halal food in jail at request

[IsraelForever]

I guess I'm in the minority here.  I'm not even sure if I think that religious Jews should get kosher food in prison.  If you're so religious, what are you doing in prison? 

You know why the recidivism rate is so high in the U.S.?  It's because they don't mind going back.

I worked with a lady from Guyana.  She told me that when prisoners there get released, they don't go back. 

[muman613]

I guess I'm in the minority here.  I'm not even sure if I think that religious Jews should get kosher food in prison.  If you're so religious, what are you doing in prison? 

You know why the recidivism rate is so high in the U.S.?  It's because they don't mind going back.

I worked with a lady from Guyana.  She told me that when prisoners there get released, they don't go back.

You are aware that Rabbi Kahane and Chaim Ben Pesach spent time in prison... If they were not permitted to have kosher meals, should they have starved?

[IsraelForever]

I wasn't thinking about political prisoners.  I suppose acceptions can be made.  It's just that, in general, I don't believe that prisoners should be catered to, that's all.

Actually, I had someone like Madoff in mind.  He doesn't deserve koshers meals, IMHO.

[Spiraling Leopard]

They serve halal food in jail at request

I think in western europe you get halal food period without mention.

[Havok]

I think in western europe you get halal food period without mention.

When I was in jail they had a sign that said if you are Muslim and require halal meals you must ask for one to be provided

[Sveta]

From my understanding....

AS we know there are reasons why Jews would be put to death in the Torah. Either adultery, murder, desecrating Shabbos etc. In all of those cases the Jewish person is put to death. In NONE of those cases is it written that they are no longer allowed to eat kosher due to their crimes (before they are executed).

The point I am trying to make is, let Hashem be the judge of the Jews who commit crimes, but let it not be us who tells them they are no longer allowed to eat kosher just because they are in prison.

[cjd]

I guess I'm in the minority here. I'm not even sure if I think that religious Jews should get kosher food in prison.  If you're so religious, what are you doing in prison? 

You know why the recidivism rate is so high in the U.S.?  It's because they don't mind going back.

I worked with a lady from Guyana.  She told me that when prisoners there get released, they don't go back.

I tend to agree with you on this also... I have no problem supplying kosher foods in the prison however the taxpayer should not be on the hook for the added expense... If kosher meals are being supplied at taxpayer expense they should be given out to any prisoner  that requests them.

[Sveta]

Sholom Rubashkin is in prison. He is an observant Jew. I'm sure he is sorry for whatever mistakes he made.
But I cant believe that any of his fellow Jews would say that he is not allowed to keep Kosher anymore just because he us in prison.

[Jenny]

Depends on the crime they committed, if they didn't do a major crime they should be able to have kosher food but if they did a serious crime like murder or rape they shouldn't get anything.

[muman613]

Depends on the crime they committed, if they didn't do a major crime they should be able to have kosher food but if they did a serious crime like murder or rape they shouldn't get anything.

I would take anything YOU say with a grain of salt. You don't keep kosher, you go to trief parties dressed immodestly... You should worry about your own transgressions before telling others about theirs...

According to Torah Sabbath desecration is punished with the same punishment as murder...

[cjd]

I would take anything YOU say with a grain of salt. You don't keep kosher, you go to trief parties dressed immodestly... You should worry about your own transgressions before telling others about theirs...

According to Torah Sabbath desecration is punished with the same punishment as murder...

Well, there is always a chance that Jenny might repent in years to come.