In prisons, penitentiaries, or reformatories the diet should be adapted to keep the patients in good health through periods of years, while it is maintained at a minimum of expense to the community. A brief review of such established diets is useful in furnishing an idea of quantity and quality of food required to fulfil the necessary conditions.

Voit calculated that for a prisoner not engaged in hard labour the following diet is sufficient to maintain health: Carbohydrates, three hundred grammes; albumin, eighty-five grammes; fat, thirty grammes, or a proportion of about 10, 3.5, and 1.

In some penal institutions the inmates are placed upon a progressive diet - that is, a diet which is regulated according to the duration of their sentence, the degree of labour exacted from them, and their conduct. Such a diet has been recommended by the British Commissioners of Prisons, graded for: (1) Periods of seven days or less. (2) Periods between seven days and one month. (3) Periods between one and four months. (4) Periods exceeding four months.

A somewhat similar system is detailed below - that of the United States Army Prison at Fort Leavenworth.

Diets Of The United States Army Prison, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas General Diet

Breakfast

Hash, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Mutton or beef stew, on Monday and Friday. Coffee, one quart each morning.

Dinner

Pork, one day each week. Corned beef, one day each week. Roast beef and gravy, three days each week. Boiled beef and gravy, two days each week. Vegetable soup, daily except Sunday.

One pint of coffee each Sunday. Pork may be substituted for corned beef or boiled beef one day each week during cold weather.

To the above will be added pickled cucumbers, beets, or tomatoes on alternate days, and such other vegetables as may be available from the prison farm.

Supper

Tea or coffee, one quart; bread, as much as required. Stewed apples or prunes on alternate days.

No. 1. The following diet, known as "Solitary," is given prisoners confined in cells for punishment, while not performing any labour:

Breakfast

Bread, eight ounces, water ad libitum.

Dinner

Bread, eight ounces; water ad libitum.

This punishment is given only for short periods, varying up to twenty days.

Total farinaceous foods, sixteen ounces.

No. 2. The following diet, known as " Restricted," is given prisoners confined in cells for punishment, while not performing any labour:

Breakfast

Hash or stew, eight ounces. Bread, seven and a half ounces.

Dinner

Soup, eight ounces. Bread, seven and a half ounces. Salt ad libitum.

Supper

Bread, eight ounces.

The eight ounces of bread for supper to be given after the twenty days of subsistence on the previous diet.

Total proteid food, eight ounces; total farinaceous food, twenty-three ounces.

No. 3. The following diet is given to prisoners who have undergone punishment:

Breakfast

Hash or stew, ten ounces. Bread, ten ounces. Coffee and sugar in the usual amounts.

Dinner

Soup, the usual amount. Beef, eight ounces, or pork, six ounces. Peas or beans, six ounces, or hominy in the usual amount, or potatoes, eight ounces. No other vegetables except such as are contained in the soup.

Supper

Bread, ten ounces. Tea and sugar in the usual amounts.

To prisoners who have been on " Restricted Diet" for more than ten days and less than twenty days, or on " Solitary Diet" for ten days, the above diet (No. 3) is given for two days.

For those who have been on " Restricted Diet " for twenty days or more, or on " Solitary Diet " for fifteen days, the above diet (No. 3) is given for three days.

The dietary of the New York State Reformatory will be found on pp. 730-732 in tabular form.

The comparison of this Reformatory Diet with other standard rations is presented in the following table of actual nutrient values:

* All food supplies are issued according to this standard dietary, except bread, which is unlimited. The average consumption of bread per man is somewhat in excess of one and one half ration per meal, thus accounting for the increase in value of the actual ration over that of the standard dietary, which conforms very nearly in food values to the standards of Voit and Playfair.

At a Conference of the Prison Association of New York, the following bill of fare was recommended for general adoption in prisons. The quantity of food is not specified:

Sunday. Breakfast

Pea soup, bread and butter.

Dinner

Baked beans, brown bread, pudding.

Supper

Bread or crackers, cheese, milk.

Monday. Breakfast

Oatmeal or boiled rice, with sugar and milk.

Dinner

Salt fish, vegetables, fruit.

Supper

Bread and butter, milk.

Tuesday. Breakfast

Bean porridge, bread.

Dinner

Roast beef, two or more kinds of vegetables, bread.

Supper

Bread and milk, molasses.

Wednesday. Breakfast

Pea soup, bread.

Dinner

Beef or mutton stew, with vegetables. (Rice may be used in place of potatoes).

Supper

Cornmeal mush, molasses.

Thursday. Breakfast

Bread and butter, milk.

Dinner

Baked beans, bread, fruit.

Supper

Bread and butter, cereal, coffee.

Friday. Breakfast

Pea soup, bread.

Dinner

Fresh fish, vegetables. (Rice may be used in place of potatoes).

Supper

Bread and milk, cheese.

Saturday. Breakfast

Oatmeal mush, milk, bread.

Dinner

Corned beef, vegetables.

Supper

Bread and milk, molasses.

New York State Reformatory Dietary

* b - breakfast. d - dinner. s - supper.

From the New York State Reformatory Annual Report for 1893 Calculations based on Prof. At water's tables, with Reformatory standard diet added.

Comparison Of Daily Dietaries