Soy-Based Meals Are 'Cruel And Unusual Punishment,' Says Lawsuit From Florida Prisoner Eric Harris

Florida prisoner Eric Harris, 34, currently serving a life sentence for sexual battery on a child, has filed a lawsuit that claims serving soy-laden meals to inmates is a form of cruel and unusual punishment. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Harris claims that the meals of processed and blended soy foods "have caused painful gastrointestinal cramping" which threaten the health of Harris' thyroid and immune system.

Typical dishes in Harris' Lake Correctional Institution, which include turkey dogs and sloppy joes, consist of 50 percent soy and 50 percent poultry. Gretl Plessinger, a spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections, told the Sentinel that if soy products were eliminated, the cost to taxpayers would double for inmate food.

Harris' legal fees are being paid by the Weston A. Price Foundation, which, among other goals, discourages the use of soy in foods. The Foundation claims that 500 inmates have complained about the food since 2009, when the Florida prison system started using soy in prisoners' meals in order to cut costs.

According to a press release that was emailed to the Huffington Post by a spokesperson for the Foundation, the "incarcerated are suffering irreparable harm by being fed a high soy diet." The group is also involved in a similar lawsuit in Illinois, in which the lawsuit claims that, in addition to cruel and unusual punishment, feeding soy-based meals to prisoners is also a "denial of plaintiffs' liberty in violation of their due process rights under the fourteenth amendment to the Constitution."

While many sources would argue that soy protein is in fact, good for you, the Weston A. Price Foundation insists that the prison meals contain an excessive amount.

This lawsuit is only one of several recent controversies in the world of prison meals. Another involved the decision to serve prisoners only two meals per day. In October, a Muslim prisoner that claimed the Ohio prison system was denying him meals prepared according to Islamic law.

Read more about prison meal guidelines and the soy suit at the Orlando Sentinel.

Comments

[Shiva Steve Ordog]

03:51 PM on 11/15/2011

The crime and character of the inmate seems to be an issue here and I will ignore that. Soy textured protein is not an ideal food. It is highly processed. It probably comes from GMO soybeans. It is likely to be high in plant estrogens which can mess up the entire endocrine system. This is one result of the corporate takeover of food and government. When I start my prison yoga class we greet each other with "Namaskar," a greeting which recognizes the spiritual equality of each person. There is no line between inmate, staff, and community volunteer spiritually. I am not posting this to question whether inmates should be fed textured protein made of GMO soy. I am posting this to ask the question: "How can we take back our food supply from corporations that behave like psychopaths and the government they are buying to control us?"

[nypapajoe]

02:05 PM on 11/10/2011

There are presently nemployed homeless families that wish they had soy meals to feed their families! Feed them day old bread with old bolony and water three times aday!

[jeanette2013]

11:24 AM on 11/10/2011

The subject is not about the crime committed ---it is about the inhumane treatment of a product making human being's deathly sick--period! Stick to the subject people, you never know, one day it could be someone you love that will be there going through it then you'll REALLY know what this inhumane treatment stuff feels like for your loved one!!

[European1919]

08:09 AM on 11/10/2011

He might be a child beater but he's right about the soy crap.
And if eliminating that would make the food too expensive ... reduce the number of prisoners or make sure they pay for their upkeep - chain gangs spring to mind.

[phoebequeen]

01:18 PM on 11/09/2011

Stop it with the SPAM already.

[Selgin]

08:18 PM on 11/09/2011

Mmm delicious chicken hearts.

[Mehitabelle]

04:18 PM on 11/08/2011

Committing sexual battery on a child is a horrible crime, and he deserves to be punished for it, legally. The 8th amendment protects us (and him) from cruel and unusual punishment. Whether we like it or not, he has basic human rights that need to be protected. If we choose to punish him in was that are outside the bounds of the 8th amendment, then we risk challenges and lawsuits to the system that, at least, cost us money and at most, allow this guy the opportunity to get out early because his rights weren't properly protected. Another article on this particular issue states that the inmates are offered alternative meals made with beans (not soy) or peanut butter if they do not like or cannot tolerate soy-based foods. Mr. Harris has a choice in this matter, unless he is also allergic to all legumes and peanuts. The solution I would offer in this case would be to do food allergy testing on Mr. Harris to first determine whether or not his symptoms are indeed an allergic reaction to the food he is being served. If he is not allergic to legumes or peanuts, then he should be given the alternative foods. If he is sensitive to these foods, then he should be offered a plain, simple hypoallergenic meal that does not trigger allergic reactions. This should not require any special ingredients, nor should it cost any more than the standard prison diet.

[Yeup I Said It]

02:11 PM on 11/08/2011

Let him suffer with his IBS! He sexually abused a child.

[Yeup I Said It]

01:59 PM on 11/08/2011

Ok, all I had to read was the headline and the first sentence. Are you kidding me??? We put you up, feed you and give you a roof and a bed for abusing a child and you're complaining?? WTF are we breeding around here?? Let me guess, he's ... nvm.

[Strangelife]

01:38 PM on 11/08/2011

It sucks to be him.

Any NON-criminals care for a bite of my baked chicken and salad? LOL

[trekie70]

01:30 PM on 11/08/2011

I'm all for humane treatment but the best way to avoid dealing with allergies to prison food is to NOT TO GO TO PRISON! What an idea! Just think of it: you don't commit a crime and you can choose what to eat. Man, I should patent this idea. Anyone know the number to the US Patent Office?

If he can't handle the food served, give him bread and water-that's all he deserves anyway. I'm tired of hearing about prisoners suing for more tv channels, bigger food servings, etc. What about the rights of their victims?

[AngelaQuattrano]

01:50 PM on 11/08/2011

Deliberately feeding people food that will cause them permanent disability is not a proper function of the prison system, nor does it have rehabilitative effects. A lot of people are sensitive to these products, which can have disastrous effects on their health and ability to return to being productive members of society.

[Yeup I Said It]

02:00 PM on 11/08/2011

Yeah, read my above comment.

[nuwunstorfts]

02:45 PM on 11/08/2011

Where are the studies on the effects of soy infused food products? This poor excuse for a human is in prison for life for sexually assaulting a child. I can't find one iota of sympathy for the jerk.

[CoffeeOnIce]

01:15 PM on 11/08/2011

Yeah...I would argue that there are a number of people who are either allergic or sensitive to soy, and that forcing them to eat something that causes pain is not ethical...but I'm finding it really hard to jump to the defense of someone who did what he did.

[two0713]

10:17 PM on 11/08/2011

if he can prove a medical reason he can't have soy then he can have a different meal

[Karl Wilder]

12:06 PM on 11/08/2011

I wonder if Monsanto is behind this and they are using prisoners as lab experiments to see what the long term effects of this horrific GMO food will be. NO ONE should have to eat soy, even a prisoner.

[CoffeeOnIce]

01:18 PM on 11/08/2011

Large quantities of soy are already present in many mass-market foods, not just food served to prisoners. It's even in pet food. There's no doubt that Monsanto is partially, if not largely, responsible for the trend of using soy as a filler. I fear that it's going to become much more difficult to find non-GMO soy products in the near future and the failure of Congress to address this gross violation of corporate ethics and public welfare is really unconscionable.

[AngelaQuattrano]

01:51 PM on 11/08/2011

Soy is safe for most people to eat in moderate quantities. It is not safe as 50% of their diet. And the claim that it would cost twice as much to substitute other food, such as rice and beans, is nothing but a lie.

[iuriggs6]

11:51 AM on 11/08/2011

Don't like it???? Don't sexually abuse children.

[AngelaQuattrano]

01:52 PM on 11/08/2011

Seriously. The punishment for child sexual abuse is being incarcerated. Deliberately poisoning prisoners because it give you a warm fuzzy feeling is sadistic and counterproductive.

[iuriggs6]

02:55 PM on 11/08/2011

Screw him. He's a criminal bottom feeder. Nothing sadistic about not caring about how a prisoner feels.

[Marcia75]

11:15 AM on 11/08/2011

YOU SEXUALLY ABUSE A CHILD AND YOU'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT STOMACH CRAMPS?

[AngelaQuattrano]

01:55 PM on 11/08/2011

Yeah, sure. Feeding prisoners a toxic diet to save money is a great way to return them to society crippled and dependent on your tax dollars for the rest of their lives. I'm glad you are willing to pay that extra money to increase the profits of private prison corporations.

[nuwunstorfts]

02:48 PM on 11/08/2011

This creep is in prison for life. Who said he would be returned to society?

[Ray Russelburg]

11:09 AM on 11/08/2011

In prison for raping a child and complaining about the food?

RAPE??!?!?!?!

Let the other prisoners feed him THEIR hot dogs.