Original version

BBC World Service Australasia

The Food Chain

Factual: Food & Drink

Examining what it takes to put food on your plate

The Food Chain examines the business, science and cultural significance of food, and what it takes to put food on your plate.

BBC World Service Online

BBC World Service schedule for American satellite radio and the Caribbean

BBC World Service Americas and the Caribbean

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa Schedule

BBC World Service East and Southern Africa

BBC World Service East Asia

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

BBC World Service South Asia

BBC World Service

BBC World Service West and Central Africa Schedule

BBC World Service West and Central Africa

The Food Chain: Food, Power and Punishment

Magazines & Reviews

Punishment, Power and Food

27/02/2016 GMT

Food, Power and Punishment

BBC World Service - The Food Chain, Food, Power and Punishment

What part should food play in punishment?

Nothing to eat but stale bread and water - an enduring image of incarceration, but what part should food play in punishment? In America, the 'Nutraloaf' - a compressed food-stuff with just enough calories to keep you alive - has been used for decades to punish prisoners in solitary confinement, but many say it contravenes even the most basic human rights. Manuela Saragosa speaks to the man who brought a class action against the state of New York to get it banned. Plus, a prison dietician tells us about the difficulty of planning a nutritious daily menu on a budget of just $2.30 per day.

Food can also play a vital role in rehabilitation and help recreate a sense of normality. We hear from the Dutch prison using nutrition to appease violent behaviour, and find out about The Clink Restaurant - a dining experience with a twist. We get a lesson from a former convict on the challenging art of prison cooking. Finally, when all freedom has been taken from you, how the refusal of food can become a powerful political weapon. 

Featuring:

Daniel Genis: Journalist, writer, ex-convict
Heather Ann Thompson:  Mass incarceration historian, Michigan University
Taylor Pendergrass: New York Civil Liberties Union
Barbara Wakeen: Prison nutritionist
Ap Zaalberg: Dutch Ministry of Justice
Dr Sarah Campbell: Professor of Irish and British history, Newcastle University
Al Crisci: Creator of the Clink Restaurant 

(Photo: Hands behind bars. Credit: Thinkstock)

Accessibility links

Programme Index

The Food Chain

Food, Power and Punishment

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC World Service Australasia

About BBC World Service