Deseret News | Reader comments: Utah State Prison makes PETA's top 10 veggie-friendly penitentiaries

Reader comments
Utah State Prison makes PETA's top 10 veggie-friendly penitentiaries

Newman | 10:42 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Why is a non-vegetarian diet violent? I am a proud supporter of PITA...People Ingesting Tasty Animals! I won't stand for my organization to be bad mouthed by those vegetable killing maniacs!! Long live fried chicken, fur, leather and meat. Meat is not murder, meat is YUMMY!

Anonymous | 10:43 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

The folks at PETA have waaaaaaaaay too much time on their hands.

Kia | 10:45 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

"...inmates' ... deeply held beliefs."

Excuse me?? These people are in prison for a REASON! It's SUPPOSED to be a nasty place to be. It's SUPPOSED to be a place they don't ever want to go again, once they get out. And whatever "deeply held beliefs" they may or may not harbor certainly didn't stop them from committing horrible crimes against innocent victims in the first place. Who CARES whether they like the food or not?!

Comments continue below

Supporter | 10:53 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

I am all for vegitarian diets in the prison-Bread, Water, and maybe just enough veggies to ward off scurvy.
Sweet and Sour Tofu? You have got to be kidding me!

What?? | 10:53 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

This is one more example of waste in our government and corrections facilities. These violent offenders and other non-contributing citizens are eating better than a lot of Utah families. We could save a lot of money if we just fed them top ramen noodles and macaroni cheese. This is one of the most pathetic things I have read about our justice system in a long time.

Peta is terrorism | 11:04 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

First off, the prisoners should be made to eat beans and bread and water. Not much else. They committed a crime, why should they get such good treatment. Second PETA is a terrorist organization based in our United States so who really cares what they think. They kill, injure and destroy in the name of ethical treatment for animals. COME ON. Way to go Deseret for giving credence to a terrorist organization. The new def for PETA is People Eating Tasty Animals.

Solitary Island | 11:34 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

They dont deserve preferential treatment. They dont pay taxes, they are productive members of our society and thats just PETA. I havent even started on the convicts. They should be air dropped on a deserted island and told to survive on there own for x amount of years and we will pick you up if you survive once your sentence is up. Save us all alot of money.

Janet | 11:42 a.m. Dec. 18, 2007

ARE YOU SERIOUS???? And we wonder why there is so much crime?! Their menu sounds like a restaurant. My kids don't get that kind of treatment at home and they are not prisoners. What's on the table is dinner and if you don't like it, tough! And if you didn't do your chores, don't come to the table. If you are being punished for something bad don't come to the table either. I like the bread and water idea too.

Solitary Island | 12:00 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Sorry I meant ARE NOT productive members of our society that being just PETA

School | 12:38 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

The public school system doesn't have that kind of a selection. The royal treatment of prisoners is wrong.

Rizdif | 12:45 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

I say we give them ALL a 100% vegan diet consisting of what they can raise for themselves on forced-labor farms... after they've donated most of what they grow to victis and charities.

what! | 12:58 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

They eat better than most people on the outside. I say give em brown water and bread crumbs. A prison sentence is not a vacation!...its a punishment! I am a proud member of PUTP- People for the Unethical Treatment of Prisoners. Join me in my crusade!

Convict1 | 1:02 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Ya know thats just wrong criminals are people too. Not all of us are bad, some of us just made mistakes that we had to pay for.

Meaty Mcbean | 1:27 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Note to Peta:

For every animal you don't eat, I will eat three.

PS. The spotted owl taste like chicken.

PETA | 1:34 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

I am a proud member.

People Eating Tasty Animals

RangerGordon | 2:03 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Oh, please. The PETA wackos have a vested interest in making vegan prison fare sound delicious and most of the people on this message board fell for it.

Do you really think these prisoners are eating high on the (tofu) hog? The fact is, soy products are much cheaper than meat. The reason prisoners have these choices is somebody figures out how to slop the prisoners for 15 cents rather than 18 cents per meal.

If y'all taxpayers are so irritated about having to foot the bill for these prisoners, just think: Maybe we shouldn't be imprisoning so many people for so many nonviolent crimes.

Junthor | 3:32 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

1. I am no fan of PETA

2. Some of you have a highly romanticized Idea of that Prison actually is like. I'm pretty sure it is NOT a vacation... Go visit there once.

3. They are PEOPLE not dogs, they need to be treated ethically and humanely.

4. It's a CHOICE if they want to eat the meatless OPTION. What part don't you understand.

5. Can you imagine anything more horrifying Than vegetarian prison food? I can't

SO WHAT! | 5:31 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Who on earth cares what kind of food they serve in prison!! What happened to bread and water?

Bread and Water | 5:53 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Feed them bread and water. These prisoners are eating better than our children eat in public schools (and we have to pay for those meals)!

To Junther | 7:24 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

You say that prisoners are people and need to be treated ethically and humanely...

Do you think there prisoners treated their victims in the same respect?

You reap what you sow. Prisoners deserve nothing but a cement floor to lay on, bread and water.

terrorist org? | 7:54 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

I thought that peta was a terrorist orginization. Don't they sponsor acts of terror against ranchers and farmers. It's sad that this story would even acknowledge peta. They are un-American and EVIL. I think I read somwhere years ago that they were on a terrorist watch list. Their problem is that they would rather hurt people than eat meat. That's anti-human.

Anonymous | 8:56 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

I am a corrections officer and I can tell you that they definitely are not eating better than most families. The food is in small portions and most of the time not all that tastey. And good luck trying to find a hot tray. If they want a decent meal they usually have to buy it themselves. As far as offering a vegetarian meal option it is a simple question of finances. We can option A. offer the meal or option B. get sued by the ACLU and spend lots of taxpayer dollars fighting it. Option A sounds more cost effective.

Will Work For Food | 11:14 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

Now isn't that just "Peachy"!! Why don't they send prison crews out and pick up fresh roadkill (deer, elk) and use the meat for stew in the prison like many other states do? No cost for the meat and the prisoners are kept busy "earning there keep" by keeping the roads safe.

Joe Wilson | 11:56 p.m. Dec. 18, 2007

I think it's a great idea...make them all vegan. Have you ever seen a man that's a vegan? When you're all skin and bones you can't put up much of a fight. That'll save on the number of gaurds needed to gaurd them. Besides as a meat eater I can't think of a worse punishment.

Anonymous | 8:34 a.m. Dec. 20, 2007

How come only good ole boys and fellow rednecks respond to this article?

Sounds like you guys (gals?) are as fearful of vegetarians as 'born agins' are of the Mormons. Something under your skin?

JC | 9:35 a.m. Dec. 20, 2007

That is just great that prisioners are given the choice to eat a healthier diet but what about our children in the schools don't they deserve the best diet we can provide? I think it is shameful for a state to offer a more nutritious menu to prisioners than to the children.

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