Food Survey Says...

From April 9 through April 16, 2026, the Office of Administrations Bureau of Management and Monitoring, Food Service Department, is seeking your valuable input on the Master Menu through a brief survey.

The survey will ask questions about:

• Items you would like to see more frequently, and
• Items you would prefer to see less often.

Your feedback is essential in helping us plan and improve the Master Menu. We kindly ask that you complete the survey no later than Thursday, April 16, 2026.

I got this message this morning, which surprised me, to be perfectly honest. This is the first menu survey that I've ever received since coming to prison over three years ago, so I was quick to do it and mention it to my cellie.

Now, the survey is tailored toward meat eaters, and just about completely forgets vegetarians and vegans, but there is a fill-in space at the end where I can contribute feedback.

After selecting that I would like to see less of some of the meat products (especially the fish patty, which the scent of makes me nauseous), and quickly selecting that I want to see less of the Cheesy Grits (:sick:), I filled in a comment suggesting that those of us on vegetarian or vegan diets particularly for religious reasons would love to see more variety in our menu, such as a bean and oat burger, tofu, and more use of seasonal, locally sourced fruits and vegetables to take advantage of local sources.

I have no idea if they're going to actually read the note, or solicit more feedback, or maybe get mad because I politely asked for something and come lock me up, but it's an ask, it's out there, and may it turn to benefit the incarcerated many.

Of amusements, however? The body incarcerate here are asking for more meat. :) What they are probably failing to articulate in their requests, however, is that they want minimally processed meats, like the chicken leg quarter they get on Tuesday nights, or maybe ground turkey or chicken burgers, or ground beef; not the current hyper-processed sludge pucks that are currently sliced and served en masse.
They're not asking for imported wild-harvested camel steaks from the roving, farm destroying packs across Australia.
They do not ask for A5 Wagyu served rare with a well-selected wine and a light, refreshing salad.
They just want to know that the ingredients in the patty of whatever they are eating are few, simple to pronounce (contains: chicken breast meat, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, sage), and aren't coming out of boxes labeled NOT FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

We still consider ourselves human, after all.