Bosses at Edinburgh’s prison are cracking down on inmates pretending to be Jewish in order to receive extra food, thought to be inspired by a Netflix show.
Over 100 prisoners at HMP Edinburgh, known to locals as Saughton, claimed to have converted to Judaism in 2017 in order to claim kosher meals which are specially prepared.
That number fell dramatically to 23 last year however, after the Scottish Prison Service tightened up the application process.
The move has apparently cut the cost of annual catering by £80,000.
A spokesman added: "We introduced a policy which has more rigorous registration and across Scotland have since had fewer kosher inmates.”
It is thought the inspiration for the scam came from Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
Set in an American women’s prison, one character informs guards she has changed her religion after learning that Jewish inmates received what was perceived as better food from the canteen.
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