Examples of meals that inmates are served.
PHILIPSBURG--Garden vegetables, steamed vegetables, fish, chicken, oxtail, macaroni pie, peas and rice, mashed potatoes and fruit such as plantains are among the items included in the daily meals served to inmates at the Pointe Blanche prison.
Members of Parliament (MPs) got a glimpse on Thursday into some of the types of meals inmates receive.
A number of pictures showing examples of meals inmates receive were shown to MPs while Justice Minister Anna Richardson was responding to questions on the subject during the continuation of a public meeting of Parliament on the prison.
Richardson was asked to provide Parliament with a general list/menu that is being served to inmates. She said several MPs had asked about the accuracy of photos and information shared in her previous presentation.
“To answer the question on how current the photos are of the meals served, I have requested to document the prepared food over the last week. This gives a good overview of the meals that are prepared for the inmates, taking into consideration the dietary needs and other restrictions. In addition to this, an overview of the weekly meals can be shared with Parliament if this is desired,” Richardson told MPs.
She explained that under normal circumstances, inmates receive fruit as often as possible. Yoghurt is not provided by the prison to the inmates. However, there is an extensive canteen list of food items that inmates can purchase themselves.
Breakfast is served at 7:00am, lunch at 11:30am and supper before 3:00pm to be eaten when wanted.
The kitchen currently closes at 3:30pm. However, the Pointe Blanche prison currently has a space under construction in the recreation room where the inmates will be able to reheat and or cook their own food. The space is nearly completed, on which inmates will be able to use it during their recreational time.
As it relates to who serves the meals, Richardson said, under normal circumstances the inmates who work in the kitchen serve the other inmates their food under supervision of the guards, as part of their tasks. However, under the rare circumstances of a strike where inmates are being forbidden to work by the leaders of the strike, the guards then share out the food.
