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Feds Sue Florida Prisons Over Kosher Meals
August 17, 2012
Arguing that prisoners’ rights have been violated, the U.S. Department of Justice this week filed a federal lawsuit aimed at forcing the Florida Department of Corrections to make available kosher meals.
The lawsuit, filed in Miami, says Florida abandoned serving kosher meals in prisons in 2007, except for a pilot program at the South Florida Reception Center.
“FDC’s (the Florida Department of Corrections’) denial of kosher meals substantially burdens the religious exercise of prisoners desiring to keep kosher, as consuming a kosher diet is a fundamental tenet of Judaism and other religions practiced by FDC prisoners,” the lawsuit says.
Before 2007, the lawsuit says prisoners who wanted to keep kosher could be sent to 13 prisons. It says an average of 250 prisoners a day took part in the kosher program. The lawsuit lists 13 prisoners who want kosher meals but are unable to get them at a variety of prison facilities.
By The News Service of Florida
Comments
39 Responses to “Feds Sue Florida Prisons Over Kosher Meals”
@Nick,
Your comments are laughable. This person is a first timer and non-violent. He was sent directly to SR Annex because it’s close to home and he has a relatively short sentence.
If you’d read my previous comment, you would have seen that I have known him “all his life” so it would be a little difficult to have met him and fallen in love with him in prison.
I no longer work for the DOC for medical reasons.
Yes, the judge did say in court that he knew that this person did not commit the crime but that he wanted to teach him a lesson about not hanging around with people who would get him in trouble. His exact words were that “I am hoping that letting you sit in prison for a little while will teach you the value of choosing your friends more wisely, sir. I am also hoping that this will teach you that when a situation occurs that you know you should not be involved in….you will go the other way instead of trying to reason with people who cannot be reasoned with.” Even the SA was amazed as she had filed the papers to nol pros the whole thing.
You assume too much, Nick. People are railroaded all the time. Just because you were guilty of your “alleged” crimes does not mean that everyone who is accused is guilty also.
Just Sayin, Are you trying to tell us that the judge knew your buddy did not commit the crime and said so in court, but sentenced him anyway? Wow, how is this judge not in prison himself?? This poor unfortunate inmate you are defending is at Santa Rosa according to your earlier post. I spent 6 years at Santa Rosa and know from experience what happens there. What your friend has failed to tell you is that Santa Rosa is where all of the unmanageable inmates are sent. Inmates that are so violent, and cannot be supervised at less secure prisons are sent. I was sent there for striking a guard. I did it, I was totally to blame, the guard did not do anything to earn it, I was just a jerk that thought I was owed something. I got what I was owed. 6 years on C/M, and an additional 2 years added to my sentence. What did your innocent friend do to get sent to Santa Rosa? And if you worked at a prison I imagine you met him there and fell in love with him got fired and now blame all the guards for that too.
@DH,
I’ve know this inmate his entire life. He isn’t conning me in any way. He hasn’t asked me for money either.
Believe me, I know very well that there are many inmates who do exactly what you describe. I saw it every day.
As I said, this person has always been 100% honest with me, even when he knew that I would be upset, angry, disappointed, etc. Therefore, I have NO reason to doubt his word, especially when it is corroborated by others including the warden.
If you think that these things don’t happen every day of the week in prisons around the country, you are exceptionally naive. There are also innocent people in prison who get treated badly by COs on a power trip, just as there are guilty people who are treated well. It’s just like any other job: there are going to be good ones and bad ones. It’s common sense.
TO “just sayin”
YOUR REPLY OF
“The judge said that while he knew that this person did not commit the crime of which he was accused, he WAS there and so he was sentencing him to prison to teach him “not to hang around with people who can get you into trouble”
WELL, YA KNOW THAT OLD SAYIN’ IF YA RUN WITH DOGS YA GONNA CATCH FLEAS..GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION…AND IF THIS PERSON ALREADY HAD A PREVIOUS RECORD THAT COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT AS WELL. SOUNDS LIKE THERE IS MORE TO THAT STORY.
AND YOUR REPLY OF
“There are some inmates who cannot tell the truth to save their lives and there are others, such as the one we are discussing, who I would trust with MY life. He’s never lied to me and always admitted to anything that he has done. There’s no reason for me to disbelieve any part of this, especially when the warden agrees that it happened the way it’s been described and other inmates have written letters to attest to the same thing.”
WELL
I SURE HOPE THIS IS SOMEONE YOU KNEW AND COULD TRUST BEFORE HE WENT TO PRISON AND NOT SOMEONE YOU HAVE MET THROUGH THE INMATE PENPAL PROGRAM OR BETTER YET, WHILE YOU WORKED IN THE PRISON. I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT PEOPLE HOOKING UP WITH INMATES IN PRISON BUT I WON’T.
LETS JUST SAY, THEY HAVE ONE WOMAN COMING TO VISIT THEM ON A SATURDAY WHO THINKS SHE IS THEIR ONE AND ONLY, MEANWHILE, THE NEXT VISITING DAY HE HAS ANOTHER WOMAN COMING TO VISIT HIM WHO IS THINKING THE SAME THING AND BOTH OF THESE WOMEN HAVE BEEN CONNED INTO SENDING MONEY TO THE INMATES ACCOUNT SO THAT HE MAY PURCHASE CANTEEN ITEMS FOR HIMSELF. INMATES ARE EXPERTS AT LIES AND DESCEPTION. THEY HAVE 24/7 TO COME UP WITH THINGS AND WAYS TO OCCUPY THEIR TIME AND WAYS TO GET SOMEONE ON THE OUTSIDE TO SEND THEM MONEY. I HOPE IN YOUR CASE THIS IS NOT THE SITUATION. GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
@ Just wonderin, Nick and DH,
Yes, I do know the inmate in question personally. He is incarcerated for a crime that he did NOT commit as evidenced by court records and even the judge’s statements in court. His crime was being there when something happened and trying to stop it. The judge said that while he knew that this person did not commit the crime of which he was accused, he WAS there and so he was sentencing him to prison to teach him “not to hang around with people who can get you into trouble”. Since the entire thing was on videotape, this is not hearsay but FACT.
I’ve worked in prisons myself, so I KNOW that there are bad apples, not only among the inmates but among the COs also. The warden agreed that these things happened, but as yet, he can give no explanation for WHY! The inmate’s behavior in no way warranted any of this and he will “get back to us” when he finds out anything more. I’ve been waiting for more than 2 months now. I guess he knows nothing more.
There are some inmates who cannot tell the truth to save their lives and there are others, such as the one we are discussing, who I would trust with MY life. He’s never lied to me and always admitted to anything that he has done. There’s no reason for me to disbelieve any part of this, especially when the warden agrees that it happened the way it’s been described and other inmates have written letters to attest to the same thing.
You can choose to be cynical about it if you wish. I know the truth and so does the warden. Inmates are mistreated all the time. You can stick your head in the sand if you like, but it does neither you nor the inmates any good.
“The state tried the Kosher kitchen before and it was a costly fiasco. There is much more to it than saying this meal is kosher. A separate kitchen must be built, the food separated from all other food, and Jewish citizens constantly in and out of the prison to inspect things.”
Hmmmm, I had thought it simply required the food be in compliance with Mosaic Law, which would be a purchasing decision for the most part. Separate kitchen and approval by a religious organization would constitute an establishment of religion and be un constitutional.
With any luck, you can get the ACLU to fight against the U S Department of Justice proposal under the establishment clause.
David for a rabbi in every kitchen
Until you have worked in a prison you really don’t have a clue about what you are talking about. I myself have worked in a DOC prison for 8 years. Religion in prison is a very different thing than Religion in the free world. For the most part, religion in prison is just another way for inmates to get out of their dorms and go to the chapel to try to pass some contraband off to another inmate or to hook up with other gang members to pass information or contraband, or even to try to assault another inmate or staff member.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do believe in having religious activities in prison because if it helps to change someone for the better then I am all for it but it has been my experience that I have seen them use religious activities for their personal gain and it has nothing to do with making them a better person.
In my time spent working there I have seen many inmates claim to be a certain religion and therefore they have to have a special meal…but then I have seen those same inmates order and eat all kinds of stuff from the inmate canteen. Every year at RAMDAN, those inmates religious belief requires that during a certain period they only eat after the sun sets. So the DOC accommodates those inmates and prepares special meals for them and they are fed after sunset. As an officer or Sergeant working that inmate’s dorm I saw him eating honey buns, soups and chips during day light in his dorm. I have seen those claiming to be Vegans eat their vegan meal provided to them and also eat food they purchased from the inmate canteen containing animal products. When you are feeding a compound of about 1400 inmates and the inmates have to be moved from their dorms to the chow hall the special meal programs are the ones that cause the most problems. Even fully staffed you cannot always catch the ones doubling back in the lines to eat a regular tray after they have eaten the special tray prepared for them.
To “Just Sayin”…it is obvious that you are an ex-inmate or you know the inmate that you are talking about personally. Sounds like you or him could benefit from reading and understanding “NICKS” statement.
To “Nick” it takes a real man to admit his faults and not blame the system, their rules or their employees. I commend you for that and I wish you continued success . .
REGARDING:
“Jesus directs that we should visit the imprisoned and here we hear these sorts of things said, let ‘em starve. Who cares? crass and very frightening how people see people”
Think hard and try to figure how many we have forced to starve.
By the way, that was part of the reason to visit those in prison, some governments didn’t bother to feed their prisoners so if friends and/or family didn’t visit them, they starved. Such is not the case in this country.
Further, many of those imprisoned in that day and time were there for the crime of being Christian, that is why the Lord referred to them as his people. Others he referred to as vipers , not his people. Governments don’t tend to imprison people for having the wrong religion in this country, even though some believers manage to do things which get them sent to prison.
Many people DO visit those in prison, but admittedly not all. One danger in involvement with inmates is that a number of them look on all people as simply tools to use, income for drugs or victims to prey upon when released. What is the number? something like half test out as sociopaths? Most don’t mind helping those willing to act decently but when you consider how hard it is to get imprisoned, they’ve usually used up a bunch of chances by that point and have worn down their supporters.
But, if it makes you happy to call people ugly for not being nicer to crooks, enjoy yourself.
David for happiness
@ Just Sayin: Sounds to me like you are a genuine, caring and loving individual who wants to do what you can to help a friend or loved one. The sad thing is, you are the perfect target for buying into someones deception and lies. You can rest assured that the load of crap that has been feed to you is nothing but what ive described it. CRAP… There are cameras all over that particular housing unit that are capable of review at any time. There are rules in the FAC that regulate the amount of recreation time confinement inmates recieve. There is a lot more that tells me this story is fabricated and trust me, if this inmate was being treated unfairly, the IG would be more than happy to get rid of that officer. Hope you can do some more investigating for yourself and figure out that this is a bogus story that was fed to you.
Just Sayin:
Where do you get your information from? Have you been incarcerated? I spent most of my adult life in prison on an installment plan. I would get sent off for 5 or more years, stay out awhile screw up and go back. I have been out of prison longer this time than ever before. Been out since March 11, 2004. Every bit of the trouble I have been in and everything I got, I deserved. I spent from 1996 to 2002 in close management. I seen people gassed and every one of them had it coming. I was gassed one time and I asked for it. Until I began accepting responsibility for my behavior, I stayed in trouble. Once I seen the problem was me and not the guards or the police or my boss, or parents, or old lady I began to straighten up. I have had a job since June of 2004, I pay my bills and when I do something wrong I take responsibility. Every bit of the stuff you are saying sounds like it is coming from an inmate. The guards are good people for the most part. They didn’t put us in prison we did. Whatever you are being told sounds to me like someone is feeding you a load of crap.
One last thought……………..If it is for Religious reasons……..should have thought about religion BEFORE you committed the SIN ……..I mean……… crime.
There’s even more to the story than what I told, including gassing this person for no reason and it was all on camera for the Locked Up: Santa Rosa tv show that was filming there earlier this year. So far, we’ve talked to state reps, DOJ and the warden and gotten absolutely nowhere with any of them. Basically, we have been told that they can do whatever they want to do and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
When he asked why he was only allowed 10 minutes for exercise, he was told that they didn’t have time to babysit him and that was all the time they could give him so deal with it.
Letters have been written by other inmates concerning the treatment of this one to the warden, to DOJ, to Southern Poverty Law Center and to ACLU. So far, no one seems to care.
He was in the box for supposedly bringing drugs into the camp when he returned from his work assignment on a particular date. However, no drugs were found AND on the date in question, he never left the camp because they kept him on the campus all day, questioning him about who was bringing it in. They said that they KNEW that he knew who it was and that he would tell them one way or the other. He told them he knew nothing so…….they gassed him TWICE, suspended his visitation privileges for 6 months, stopped all phone calls and put him in the box from the beginning of March until July.
I understand that they need to stop drugs from coming into the facility, but to punish somebody for not knowing who it is and to treat someone this way is inexcusable.
Santa Rosa has cameras in box & if any of that took place those responsible will be taken care of. That incident is not a reflection of the whole D O C, as far as kosher meals go, or diets the inmates do get 3 meals a day or @ least offered, alot of times these religious & vegens double back through chow line eating a regular tray then attempting to get the one they were supposed to get in first place, to me thats taxpayers having to overfeed the thieves.
I retired from the Florida Department of Corrections 3 years ago as an Assistant Warden. I would like to share with you what life behind bars in Florida is really like.
Eeyore, There are no gyms, or exercise equipment. There is a recreation yard of approx. 3-4 acres for 1500 inmates to share at Century. There is one basketball court. nets and balls are donated. There is also a walking track, a block wall that the inmates can play handball, providing they buy their own ball. There is a television for every 150 inmates and it is donated.
The state tried the Kosher kitchen before and it was a costly fiasco. There is much more to it than saying this meal is kosher. A separate kitchen must be built, the food separated from all other food, and Jewish citizens constantly in and out of the prison to inspect things. Since the expense is so high there will only be a handful of these prisons equipped with the Jewish kitchen. The Department of Corrections tries to separate gang members. What was found was gang members were changing their religions to Jewish, so they would be transferred t one of the few prison that has a kosher kitchen. They would then be housed with their gang partners.
Vegan meals are offered, but according to the Jewish leaders this does not constitute kosher.
Regarding Just sayin: Who and where did you get your information? The rec time for inmates in long term confinement is 3 hours a week not 10 minutes.
So ugly, where did humanity go? How are these Christian ethics? Jesus directs that we should visit the imprisoned and here we hear these sorts of things said, let em starve. Who cares? crass and very frightening how people see people.
@ Just sayin… Where did you get this information?
I say who gives a crap they gave up their rights when they committed a crime. Let them starve for all I care.
As far as rights go, when you are incarcerated, you STILL have basic human rights that cannot be taken away. Some of those include the right to have nutritious food, fresh air, exercise and medical care.
DOC employees deny these rights all the time. For example, an inmate at SR Annex was “in the box” recently and during that time, he was taken out twice a week for 10 minutes each for “exercise”, allowed a three minute shower three times a week, denied medical care and was lucky to be fed twice a day. Several times, he was brought an empty tray. He lost 25 pounds during his time “in the box”, weight that he really couldn’t afford to lose.
The law requires certain treatment and they are not giving it. When DOC employees break the law, they are no better than the ones they are supposed to be guarding. Why aren’t they punished in the same way?
>>>>ALL special meals have been stopped. Inmates with diabetes and high blood pressure are out of luck, too.
Not according to the lawsuit itself. The US Dept of Justice says:
FDC offers two mainline dining options for most meals – a meat entrée and non-meat entrée. In addition to these options, prisoners may request vegan meals by submitting a request to the food service director.
FDC also provides a variety of therapeutic diets, including a prenatal diet, liquid diet, puree diet, mechanical dental diet, mental health diet, low residue diet, fat intolerance diet, calorie regulated diet, and a renal diet.
ALL special meals have been stopped. Inmates with diabetes and high blood pressure are out of luck, too.
Anybody know if there’s a religion that requires you to eat strictly meat, potatoes, & salad??? I might convert!
Beans, day old bread and tap water.
Want it kosher, pray over it.
REGARDING:
“Give them the Kosher meals or place them at a facility where they can get them. Problem solved.”
Or just feed everybody Kosher so as to simplify the situation.
For that matter, many Vegans don’t want any animal products, so we could simplify the matter for the general population by simply giving all inmates Kosher Vegan meals. It would probably be healthier for them.
David for cheap foods
Kosher meals are easy: just serve vegetarian. No meat. Tadaa! instantly parve kosher. It’s what a lot of this city’s Jews do.
Also, I don’t think comparing grown adults in a correctional facility to our kids in school on the issue of prayer and religious preferences is a valid comparison.
Kids CAN pray in school – they have that right – they just can’t pray in such a way as to involve those who don’t wish to be involved.
I am an advocate of prayer in school, but as the law is written, it does not forbid individual prayer.
Inmates are adults and can make their own choices to discuss religion or no, pray or not. Comparing the prison environment and clientele with school and students doesn’t work.
It’s not the DOC that the problem stems from. I personally think it’s OK for them to have Kosher meals – the program is called the “Certified Food Sincerity” program, and the meals can be consumed by those of the Jewish Faith, Muslim Faith and a few other faiths with dietary restrictions.
The problem arises when this choice is removed. Yes, prisoners do retain some of their rights, and this is one of them. The Jewish faith has a huge following on the outside of prison through their Synagogues and Rabbis. Therefore, when questionable actions are taken which infringe upon their limited rights in prison, a lawsuit usually gets filed, and many times it’s pro bono, courtesy of a lawyer of the Jewish faith.
Give them the Kosher meals or place them at a facility where they can get them. Problem solved.
BTW, the Kosher meals aren’t that great – if it were up to me, I’d eat the mainline food. It’s hot and it’s much better.
REGARDING:
“America jails more of its own citizens than any other country in the world! Jail is a big business and we have so many extreme laws that we keep the jails full .”
This is probably true, many countries simply kill the accused. They never see the inside of a jail.
Solutions are simple: Don’t make anything illegal which does not hurt others.
The specifics are harder to work out. Some drug users kill others as a result of their altered states of mind, so letting people use drugs does not itself hurt others but may hurt others indirectly. Smoking may just kill the user or it may not, but it also affects and harms children and others. Is the harm bad enough to outlaw it?
Lying about your qualifications doesn’t hurt others unless you then practice law or medicine as a result of your falsified statements. Then people die.
Buying drugs is usually tax evasion since the vendors tend to not declare the sales.
Not paying sales tax is victimless or non victimless?
If it is victimless, then don’t require people to pay their taxes?
So confusing.
David for fewer criminal minds
REGARDING;
“the kids in the schools do not have the right to pray”
No need to be concerned. The kids in the school DO have the right to pray. It is the teachers and officials who do not have the right to tell them to pray, what to pray, to whom or what to pray, how to pray.
THAT would be taking away the kids’ religious freedoms.
Since I’m not Jewish or Muslim, I’m not as concerned about the non kosher or non halal meals as I probably should be. I keep thinking, “If they had cared about keeping the associated laws, would they be in prison in the first place?”
Of course, many convert after being incarcerated so I should show more pity. I’ll work on it and get back to you.
David for not needing prison food
in the first place
So, not providing kosher meals to prisoners ISN’T an assault on our religious freedoms, but requiring an insurance company to provide contraception to those it insures IS an assault on our religious freedoms? I’m just trying to make sure I understand correctly.
I’m trying figure out why when you go to prison for a crime you have all your rights took away but yet they have the right to say what they want to eat due to their religion but the kids in the schools do not have the right to pray. If they can stop prayer at ball games. looks like this would infringe on the rights of the rest of the prison. I also wonder if they where this religious when they committed the crime if so why did they do it
Would bread and water not be kosher? A lot of starving people who did not break the law would love to have it. they are in prison not the Hilton.
OOOOOOOOOOOOK, A person is free and can eat WHATEVER he or she desire. Then decide to commit a crime and have freedom taken. Then have the nerve to ask the taxpapers to not only feed you but, a kosher meal. And now want to further burden taxpayers with a dang lawsuit. REALLY? There are law abiding citizen that have made the choice to try and obey the law. (they could steal or whatever to get food) that are going hungry sometimes, and they don’t have a choice of what they eat, and would just be glad to get any meal. So give this a rest.
Since when do prisoners get to choose their meals? When they get put in jail dont they lose most of their rights? And since when is religion more important in jails and prisons than it is in schools? If they are forcing kids to stop practicing religion at schools then why do the prisoners who break the laws get to keep practicing their religion freely? That is a double standard and its not fair to us who want to keep GOD in our daily lives and activities!
Put up a few billboards along the interstates that warn people that if you commit crimes and are convicted—you don’t get kosher meals. Life is all about choices.
Dan….my thoughts exactly!
I don’t care what kind of trouble they got into or why they are in prison, no one deserves to be denied what they need to practice their religious beliefs. If they are going to have a church in prison, then inmates should be able to eat kosher to follow their beliefs.
I wouldn’t deny any man their religion, or force them to follow mine.
I have yet to figure out what kind of right that prisoners have. They forfitted there rights when they were found guilty of their crimes.
“might want to go to a country where there is a very low crime rate”
America jails more of its own citizens than any other country in the world! Jail is a big business and we have so many extreme laws that we keep the jails full .
Americans are not worse than people of other countries, its just the crazy amount of laws we have that cause our prisons to be over populated
We could start by releasing everyone involved in victim less crimes such as marijuana possession.
…kosher meals?…tv’s…gym and excercise equiptments…man the prisoners got it good here! these corrections folks might want to go to a country where there is a very low crime rate…and why criminals do not want to go to prison there…like a certain segment of the populations say…dont further burden the tax-payers…for programs like this…they should be fed…but not excessively…and take away the other stuff…they are there to serve their time…two meals and a cot…