Weekend Lunches Research Paper

Words: 993
Pages: 4

The Texas Government Policy and Politics 12th Edition states that in order to save money in the prison system, weekend lunches are no longer being served. With inmates receiving only two meals a day in place of three, costs are cut. Not only do prison inmates already receive breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout their five day week but they also have the option to purchase snacks from the commissary. Some people, including the inmate’s family members, argue that it is wrong to take away the inmate’s food because it is “unnecessarily harsh.” For inmates who are from low income families, receiving money to buy snacks is not probable, leaving them at a disadvantage. In addition, hotdog and hamburger buns are substituted with sliced bread, as …show more content…
A Richardson Republican, stated, “The concerns are legitimate, but because of the shortfall we had to do something.” For the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, several money- saving changes are already being considered. Lawmakers have come to the understanding of the Texas prison system’s need to retain as many services as possible. Through the removal of weekend lunches for inmates, $2.8 million in food expenses are saved. This money goes a long way and the amount gained from the food cuts does add up. According to Dian Jennings, Dallas Morning News staff writer, the Criminal Justice Department had already slashed $40 million from its current budget. Vikrant Reddy, policy analyst for the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Foundation, said he thinks we can still cut and we’ll end up spending less and have superior public safety.one concern regarding the department’s decision to modify inmate’s meals is that the resulting behavior would be catastrophic. Regardless of this fear, prison staff are in position to take action in case of any incidents where an unhappy inmate is being difficult. With the idea that a change in the inmates’ meal plans may cause them to act out, there is an increase in the demand for guards and officers. More jobs can be …show more content…
Many people believe that they would result in having a negative effect on life in prison. Robert Worley, a criminal justice professor at Texas A&M Central Texas, states, “If you do anything to manipulate the inmate’s environment, you can almost automatically see some sort of reaction. The budget cuts do have an effect on some inmates, but not all react in a reckless manner to create danger. Worley said “An inmate that is fed and happy can be on that is easier to manage.” In August of 2011, 19 inmates signed a petition at the Hutchins State Jail and sent it off. The petition was for the Texas Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union arguing that the food cutbacks were simple in violation of the federal constitution. other arguments were made by inmates that guards and prison staff were just trying to harass them by making them eat food they did not like. However, all inmates eat the same food regardless of their custody level, meaning that no on inmate receives special treatment. Whether it is a food they dislike or the food cutbacks, it affects them all. Though it is the largest, Texas is not alone in its decision makings. Not only has the lone star state set itself apart from most other state prison systems, but Ohio and Arizona have also made the choice to serve two meals per day on the weekends. It is recommended by