The New York Department of Corrections is thinking about putting some fast food on Riker's Island. The food won't be for the inmates - though some nutritionists and others who are not fans of fast food would probably feel that it could be considered a punishment - it will be for the guards and other staff members. Currently, the guards get one (free) meal per shift and eat the same food as the inmates do, but there is a demand for more variety in their meals, so the DoC is seeking "an expression of interest" from companies "that would like to operate a fast-food joint in the joint."

According to a story in the New York Times magazine, there might be a connection between a healthy diet and a propensity for violence. Studies have been done in countries including Finland and England, and are underway in Holland and Norway, that showed a decrease in the levels of violent behaviors exhibited by convicts who were given omega-3 fatty acids and other nutritional supplements. The decrease was compared to prisoners who received placebo supplements, or none at all. Apparently, in addition to other health benefits, "Omega-3's foster the growth of neurons in the brain's frontal cortex, the bit of gray matter that controls impulsive behavior." In other words, for people who impulsively committed violent acts, having an increased amount of omega-3-generated neurons blocked those impulses and eliminated many violent behaviors.

The article does, of course, remind readers that there is no miraculous way to eliminate violent behavior - no matter how much fresh fish and spinach people are given. Just like diet alone is not a substitute for exercise on the quest to lose weight, diet alone cannot stop all violent behaviors. But it could help.

[Image NYT]

A hot breakfast was the standard prison breakfast for many, many years for the same reasons that oatmeal is a popular breakfast food on the outside: it's healthy, filling and inexpensive. But porridge is off the menus in British prisons, replaced with a "breakfast pack" that costs only 27p per prisoner (about 46¢ US). The reason for the change, according to audit investigators, was "because cooked breakfasts are no longer part of contemporary eating habits in the wider community". Since the prison officials are so on top of food trends, they found it necessary to remove the offending breakfast cereal from their menus.

It is highly that the change was made to save money. While the breakfast pack - which includes 1 cup of breakfast cereal, two slices of bread, jam or marmalade, margarine, tea bags, instant coffee and a small milk cartoon - might cost slightly more per serving than oatmeal, it is given to the prisoners the night before and prepared and eaten by them in the morning. This eliminates the need to have the kitchen staff on hand for one meal every day.