“It is no part of the policy of the Empire State, as we understand it, to increase the punishment of lawbreakers by making them eat things they detest.” The New York Times. In the March 5th 1983 edition of the paper an anonymous reporter gives the details of the new cheese policy to be employed at New York State Prisons. Thank heavens no one is being forced into eating the high quality lactose they were no doubt serving. I say this first with a tone of irony then a tone of seriousness. Further reading suggests the guards at the prison really saw some serious health benefits to cheese. The writer discusses different cheese and even pairings at length. In the end, however, the title, “Patriotism and Cheese” does prevail and inmates will be getting American cheese and toasted water crackers- either after dessert or with their salad, as this is yet to be decided upon.
The culinary concerns of the New York penitentiary system at the time are decidedly sophisticated and ahead of their time perhaps. There is a strong emphasis on local products, particularly dairy from Oneida County. According to this author the American spaghetti is garnished with American Parmesan and digested with some American Chianti, 1893, a prison and a locavore’s dream. It almost seems a man living hundred years ago and incarcerated my have had a healthier diet than a lot of people I know today.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9A00E0DB1F3FEF33A25756C0A9659C94629ED7CF
