What’s on the menu at Rikers Island jail complex?

NEW YORK (PIX11) – Thousands of inmates are incarcerated on Rikers Island at any given moment, and they all need to eat.

Menus must adhere to dietary restrictions like kosher and halal and must be approved by a dietitian , according to New York State Law. Inmates at local correctional facilities receive at least three meals in 24 hours, with a specialized menu for up to 14 hours between the evening and breakfast meals.

So what’s on the menu at Rikers?

Over 43,000 meals are served each day at correctional facilities and the New York City court system, according to the Department of Correction .

“We will not produce food that’s not good enough for your family and loved ones to serve to our DOC detainees as well as our staff,” is the mission statement according to a video on the agency’s website .

A general menu for inmates without dietary restrictions can include the following:

• Breakfast: Hot oatmeal, coffee, toast, and juice for breakfast
• Lunch: Sloppy joe, fried potatoes, apple juice, and green peas
• Dinner: This can include BBQ chicken legs, chilled potato salad, bread, and a grape beverage

A menu for an inmate who adheres to a Kosher diet can include:

• Breakfast: Coffee, bread, oatmeal, and grape juice
• Lunch: Tuna, macaroni or potato salad, bread and a pudding
• Dinner: Sloppy Joe, potatoes, vegetables, an apple, a chilled beverage, and no dairy, according to the sample menus .

The total annual cost of incarceration is $556,539 per person, according to the New York City comptroller . It is unclear how much is spent on inmate nutrition.

The New York State Department of Corrections was not immediately available to comment.

Statewide facility food menus for correctional facilities can be found here .

Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here .

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