Eating Behind Bars : Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison

A vivid exploration of an unseen food crisis affecting millions of Americans

Eating Behind Bars exposes the grim realities of food in U.S. prisons, where hunger, malnourishment, and food waste coexist with dehumanizing mealtime conditions. This disturbing portrait of eating behind bars came to light in 2020 when the nonprofit Impact Justice released the first-ever national examination of food in prison, catapulting the issue from the margins of prison litigation to the center of national conversations about mass incarceration and food justice. The result is this landmark book, revealing a crisis of nutrition affecting the health of incarcerated Americans.

Grounded in riveting testimonials from formerly incarcerated people and accompanied by compelling photographs and illustrations, Eating Behind Bars documents the scarcity of fresh food in prison and high rates of diet-related disease and illness, often as the result of the race to spend as little as possible. The authors propose innovative solutions including “farm to tray” programs, prison-based farms, and chef-led initiatives to provide healthy, appealing food as a basic human right, challenging the broader system of mass incarceration.

A vivid exploration of the food crisis affecting millions of incarcerated Americans, Eating Behind Bars sheds new light on the power—and peril—of what’s on our plates “This eye-opening book will convince you that everyone—absolutely everyone—is deserving of nourishing food that affirms their humanity and dignity.”—José Andrés, chef and humanitarianPrisons and jails are America’s hidden “food deserts,” where hunger and malnourishment coexist with shocking levels of food waste because much of what is served is so awful it ends up in the trash. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are tense and humiliating when incarcerated people are forced to eat in silence, finish meals within minutes, and disciplined with food deliberately worse than the standard fare. This disturbing portrait came to light in 2020 when the nonprofit Impact Justice released the first-ever national examination of food in prison, catapulting the issue from the margins of prison litigation to the center of national conversations about mass incarceration and food justice. This landmark book digs deeper, revealing a systemic drive to cut costs at the expense of health and decency. It is also a story of resistance and hope, chronicling how incarcerated people and their allies are fighting back, as well as exploring “farm to tray” programs, chef-led initiatives, and other ways to make food in prison a source of healing and bring dignity back to the table.