Friday, June 22, 2007

Tasty food tempts prisoners to stay

Inmates don't want to leave their prison because the food served there is so good, according to reports. Convicted criminals are opting to stay a little longer at the jail while others are trying to move in order to benefit from the three healthy meals offered each day.

The Parappana Agrahara prison in Bangalore, southern India, is crowded with 4,700 inmates, which is more than twice its capacity, because small-time criminals are refusing to apply for bail, according to the Bangalore Mirror.

Juvenile offenders are also overstating their age to qualify as adults and enter the facility. The paper says the reason is healthy food being served by ISKCON, or the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu evangelist organisation.

ISKCON, commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement, started serving its pure-vegetarian fare in the jail in May under contract from the prisons department.

Lunch and dinner typically include piping hot rice, two vegetables and a spicy lentil dish called sambar and buttermilk. A dessert is added on festival days and national holidays like Independence Day, and also once a week.

Prisoner Raja Reddy, who has been arrested 20 times in 30 years for theft, robbery and burglary, said: "When we are getting tasty, nutritious food three times a day here, why should we go out and commit crimes."

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