You might think prisoners are living well based on some of the meals listed on recent menus at California’s San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. Dishes like chicken cacciatore, Tuscan-style beans, beef fried rice, chicken enchiladas, broccoli alfredo, beef stew with country potatoes, and chorizo with fresh salsa sound like meals you’d find in San Francisco restaurants. But the reality for the estimated 2 million people incarcerated across the U.S. is very different. Instead of these appealing dishes, prisoners often receive small portions of low-quality, highly processed food that hardly matches what the menu promises.
Some people argue that this treatment is deserved. Yet, experts in corrections and health, as well as those behind bars, stress why the quality of prison food matters to everyone. Over 95% of incarcerated individuals eventually return to their communities. For public safety and fiscal responsibility, it’s crucial to support their health and rehabilitation. Improving prison food is one important step toward that goal.
“The meal experience in prison is depressing,” said Jesse Milo, a San Quentin resident who has been in 13 different prisons. “Sometimes it’s hard to recognize the food, but you eat it because you have to survive. There’s no joy in it.” He believes that poor-quality food reflects how society views incarcerated people. “When the food looks disgusting, it sends a message that that’s what we are.”
Milo remembers family meals like his grandmother’s tamales and his aunt’s menudo, but healthy eating was never a focus growing up. He has spent his entire adult life in prison and relies completely on state-provided food because his family cannot send money. At 45, he is obese, pre-diabetic, and suffers from high blood pressure and foot problems.
He is not alone. A 2020 study by Impact Justice found nearly 90% of prisoners said their meals looked and tasted bad. More than half reported rarely or never receiving fresh fruits or vegetables. Many rely on commissary items such as ramen noodles, honey buns, and soda to fill the gap. But these items only worsen diet-related health issues.
Prisons act like food deserts, contributing to chronic illnesses like early diabetes. A 2023 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association linked the accelerated aging of incarcerated people to stress, poor diet, limited physical activity, and inadequate health care.
“Food is medicine,” said Dr. Ilana Garcia-Grossman, lead author of the study. “Investing in healthy food can prevent many health problems. Frankly, what prisons serve is atrocious.”
Despite spending nearly a third of its budget on health care, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) allocates less than $4 per day for all meals per prisoner. In contrast, the California Department of Veterans Affairs spends over twice that amount on food for its long-term care residents.
CDCR’s manual states it aims to provide inmates with a healthy, balanced diet, considering flavor, texture, and appearance. It also claims to address diabetes and hypertension by standardizing menus. However, the Impact Justice report paints a different picture.
“Most prisons use refined carbs like white bread and cake to meet calorie requirements,” the report says. “Many rely on fortified powdered drinks for nutrients, which are cheap but inadequate substitutes for real, nutrient-rich food.”
Experts say prisons could do more to help inmates heal. Garcia-Grossman suggests a Mediterranean-style diet focused on vegetables, whole foods, moderate amounts of unprocessed meats, fish, dairy, and healthy oils. Nutrition education, she says, is vital—especially for those managing chronic health issues.
Norwegian prisons serve as examples, offering grocery access, cooking classes, and mixed meal services that encourage self-care and skill-building.
Dr. Rodlescia Sneed from Wayne State University highlights the importance of health education in addition to housing and job training for successful reentry. “If we reduce harm inside prisons, we can prevent chronic health problems later,” she said.
Some California food managers express frustration with bureaucratic barriers to improving prison nutrition. Still, the Impact Justice study acknowledges these professionals are working within constraints but warns that the low standards lead to humiliation and hunger among inmates.
At San Quentin, resident Kelton O’Connor leads the Right 2 Heal campaign, advocating for better food as part of healing. Incarcerated for over a decade, O’Connor argues that prisoners have the “right to heal” physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
“In prison, we can kill ourselves with food, but we don’t have the right to heal with food,” he said, referring to unhealthy canteen items inmates buy to supplement state meals.
O’Connor’s vision includes creating food cooperatives, onsite gardens, food pharmacies, and grocery prescriptions inside prisons and marginalized communities. Improving prison food could also enhance safety and reduce violence. Studies in nutritional criminology show that better nutrition can lower antisocial behavior and violence, matching the impact of psychological treatments.
“Poor diets cause metabolic and mental health problems like depression,” O’Connor said. “This directly affects prison safety. The Right 2 Heal campaign fights not only for incarcerated people but for everyone’s right to heal.”
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