IMPROVING NUTRITION AND FOOD SERVICE IN NEW YORK STATE PRISONS

The Correctional Association of New York (CANY) is an independent
oversight organization dedicated to monitoring New York State’s
correctional facilities, identifying issues, and advocating for
improvements in prison conditions and treatment of incarcerated
individuals. Having identified the pressing concern of inadequate
access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, CANY engaged the
Capstone team to a) review the literature on best practices for
enhancing nutrition in carceral settings, b) assess the political
landscape for policy change, c) conduct a qualitative and quantitative
analysis of CANY’s interviews with incarcerated individuals, and d)
conduct a menu analysis. The team’s research found that food provision
in prison is closely related to health outcomes for incarcerated
individuals and therefore has important health equity implications, with
interviewees reporting challenges securing adequate nutrition and
consistent deficiencies in food provision. The team’s final report offers
CANY a set of recommendations to improve correctional food service
in New York State.