A Scottish prison has been told to serve up ‘less carb heavy’ grub - like chips, pasta, pizza and bread - after female lags complained the menu was ‘aimed at male prisoners’.
Inspectors at the 750-capacity HMP Polmont in Falkirk, Scotland - which holds around 650 males aged between 16-21 and around 100 women - said the menus needed to offer ‘more food choices’.
Despite male and female prisoners living in different wings - with the women housed in the Blair House wing of the jail - they share the same menus.
Among the main meals doled up include carb-heavy foods like pies, pasties, pizza, macaroni cheese, square sausages in rolls, sandwiches, fish and chips and bangers and mash - with limited salads and other ‘healthy foods’, despite there always being a vegan or vegetarian option.
A report into the jail this week by HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland (HMIPS) stated that female inmates were ‘particularly disparaging’ about the meal choices - saying they felt the menus were ‘aimed at’ the male lags at the jail.
The report stated: “Prisoners had mixed views on the standard of food, but the meals observed were of a good size, and appeared fresh and appetising.
“Women prisoners (however) were particularly disparaging about the meal choices, and felt it was aimed at the men, with too many options being carb heavy.”
Inspectors spoke to the kitchen manager at the jail, who explained that female lags often ‘ignored’ the healthy choices on the menu - and went for the chips, pies and other carb-heavy treats instead of the less fattening options.
The report added: “The kitchen manager explained that where healthier options were included, the women still did not necessarily choose these.”
Inspectors said that the jail held ‘food focus groups’ four times-a-year to gauge which grub inmates wanted - and said food theme nights, like an Indian, Chinese or Italian night, had been introduced.
It stated: “Quarterly Food Focus Groups are held with the prisoners which demonstrated prisoners’ views and action being taken.
“HMP Polmont had introduced a food theme night at the request of the Young People and Women.
“This was similar to other prisons, although other prisons had introduced a greater range of theme nights. HMIPS would encourage further theme nights as prisoners reported that it was something to look forward to.”
Inspectors said the carb heavy menu was something which needed to be ‘looked into’, listing it as ‘Action Point 1’ in the report and stating: “HMP Polmont should consider offering more food choices for the prisoners than the minimum required by SPS (Scottish Prison Service).”
A previous report into the jail stated that chips were served with most evening meals, stating: “The menu still appeared to favour the young adult population with chips being provided with the vast majority of evening meals."
The SPS said that it aimed to ‘reduce the amount of sugar, fat and salt’ in prisoners’ diets and encourage the consumption of ‘starchy, high-fibre foods’, by encouraging more lags to eat ‘vegetables, fresh fruit and salads’.
It stated that it wanted to offer a ‘nutritious and balanced diet to all prisoners’.
