Angry prison inmate slams ‘absolute state’ of the food he's given in UK prison

An angry inmate slammed the ‘absolute state’ of the food at the UK prison where is being housed, saying meals are simply ‘embarrassing’.

While you wouldn’t exactly expect Michelin-star fare behind bars, one prisoner has claimed that there isn’t even enough go around the wings.

The inmate, known only as ‘Steve C’ wrote to prison newspaper Inside Time to share his experience at HMP Whatton near Bingham, Nottinghamshire.

Steven, who has been in prison for more than 20 years, said portion sizes at the facility were ‘shocking’, despite food being a ‘basic right’.

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He said: “I write in order to bring attention to the absolute state of the food in this prison. I work on the servery and it is embarrassing that I have to give out this bad food along with portion sizes that are both disgraceful and shocking.

“One day the curry came to the wing in a big container and the pasta in a small one, and when I asked about this I was told that the curry had less protein. I’ve never heard that before in my life!”

In the post, titled 'Rubbish food', Steven continued: “I have been in prison for over 20-years and worked in lots of prison kitchens. We would always send extra food to the wings just in case of spills and dropping trays.

“That does not happen in this prison, the food is not enough to serve the wing and when we ask staff to phone the kitchen and ask for more food, the kitchen always say there is no more.

“We ran out of beef noodles last week and the guys who didn’t get it were given salad only, which is obviously not a hot meal.”

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He added: “It is not right to cut the food budget as surely that is a basic right?"

According to the Prison Reform Trust, prisoners are provided with three meals a day: normally breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The charity says prisons have to do checks to 'make sure the food they give you is good enough', such as being 'health, safe to eat and that you get enough food'.

Prison Rule 24 says: "The food provided shall be wholesome, nutritious, well prepared and served, reasonably varied and sufficient in quantity."

Along with having access to drinking water at all times, they should also be provided with 'the facilities to prepare a minimum of four hot drinks a day'.

The charity advises speaking to catering staff within the kitchen if they have a problem with the food.

LADbible has reached out to HMP Whatton for comment.