Tallahassee – Florida Department of Corrections has been ordered by a federal judge to provide kosher meals by July 1 to “all prisoners with a sincere religious basis for keeping kosher.”
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As reported by the Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/1dJZNX0) the ruling, signed Dec. 5, grants the U.S. Department of Justice an initial injunction forcing institutions to offer kosher meals and to lower some of the restrictions on a kosher program at one state facility.
U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Seitz said of her decision, “Injunctive relief is necessary to prevent irreparable harm to hundreds of Florida prisoners who believe that keeping kosher is an important part of their religious beliefs.”
The lawsuit concerns the state’s Religious Diet Program (RDP) currently in place at only one institution, Union Correctional Institution. According to the ruling, the state has repeatedly changed its timeframe for expanding the program. The state has also stated it’s not required to offer kosher meals under federal laws protecting religious freedom.
Seitz barred DOC from enforcing four rules used in the kosher program at Union, including a 90-day waiting period, testing requirements for inmates to determine if they qualify for kosher meals, the “10 percent rule”, which drops a prisoner from the program who doesn’t eat at least 90 percent of his or her meals and the “zero-tolerance” rule, which releases a prisoner from the program who is found eating non-kosher meals.
In a filing dated last week, though, the state continued to argue that the policy would cost too much.
A trial in the case is scheduled to begin Aug. 25.
Unders whose hasgacha will these meals be prepared?
Don’t you love this country? Even in a redneck prison you can get kosher food.
Super!! Sign me up.
So if you will eat nonkosher you can still get them? Crazy!
The guy could tayna I had to eat the treif, I was literally starving to death, and he would be right!
I am so proud. Hundreds of frum Jews are in Florida prisons. As to number 1.. there will be a choice of hechshers. Each prison will have at least five choices ranging from Satmar to Bobov. Where there is a frum criminal there will be food of his choice. Wait, perhaps there are some frum women, they must be placed in a prison with no male guards. Not only must there food pass muster, but there uniforms must also.
Boruch Hashem! That’s good news! #MalchisShelChesed.
True not always they act accordingly, But credit where credit is due.