RAHMAN HAS BECOME A MORE IMPORTANT CURRENCY IN THE
UNITED STATES PRISON SYSTEM THAN TOBACCO.
PRISONS HAVE A COMMISSARY WHERE PRISONERS CAN PURCHASE
THINGS AND THEN THEY TEND TO TRADE THOSE THINGS FOR
THINGS THAT THEY WANT.
FOR A LONG TIME, TOBACCO USED TO BE THE CURRENCY OF CHOICE
BY MEMBERS OF OUR PRISON POPULATION, AND NOW IT HAS
BECOME RAMEN.
PART OF THE REASON WHY IS OUR PRIVATE PRISONS GIVING
INMATES THE WRONG FOOD, FEEDING THEM UNHEALTHY STUFF AND
MAKING THEM EAT LESS.
A NEW REPORT FOUND THAT THE DECLINE IN QUALITY AND
QUANTITY OF FOOD AVAILABLE IN PRISONS DUE TO COST-CUTTING
HAS MADE RAMEN NOODLES A VALUABLE COMMODITY.
INMATES AT THE PRISON STUDIED WENT FROM RECEIVING THREE
HOT MEALS THE DAY TO TWO HOT MEALS AND ONE COLD LUNCH DURING
THE
WEEK, AND ONLY TWO MEALS FOR THE WHOLE DAY ON THE WEEKEND.
IT KIND OF GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HOW THINGS CHANGE.
THE QUANTITY THERE DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT IS GOING TO DESTROY
PEOPLE'S HEALTH, BUT THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD IS SO BAD AND
THERE ARE ACTUALLY CORRECTIONS OFFICERS SPOKE TO THE
RESEARCHER AND TOLD HIM, THIS FOOD IS SUPER UNSAFE.
I'VE SEEN WHOLE CHICKENS MARKED AS, DO NOT EAT, MARKED
UNSAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION.
I REMEMBER A LONG TIME AGO ON THE YOUNG TURKS WE HAD A
DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT GOING TO PRISON WOULD BE
SUCH A BAD THING.
YOU HAVE TO PAY BILLS, NO STRESS.
I REMEMBER THAT CONVERSATION AND IT WAS RIDICULOUS.
OF COURSE IT WAS, BUT NOW THIS STORY MAKES ME GO, I DON'T
WANT TO GO TO PRISON.
BAD FOOD ALL THE TIME, YOU'LL GET TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU BEAT.
YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO RAMEN?
RAMEN, IN MY OPINION, IS OVERHYPED.
GO AHEAD AND GET ANGRY, BECAUSE PEOPLE LOVE RAMEN.
A CUP OF NOODLES IS OK.
IT'S BAD FOR YOU, BUT WHATEVER.
BUT IF YOU GO TO A RESTAURANT THAT SPECIALIZES IN RAMEN,
IT'S AMAZING.
I THINK THIS ARTICLE ONLY HIT ON ONE OF THE ISSUES, WHICH IS
THAT THEY ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH FOOD, AND THAT IS BECAUSE
THE PRIVATE PRISONS ARE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY.
THE TWO OTHER FACTORS ARE, TOBACCO HAS BECOME MUCH
LESS POPULAR.
IN THE OLD DAYS, EVERYBODY USED TO SMOKE, ESPECIALLY IN PRISON.
NOWADAYS THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN NEARLY AS MUCH, SO THAT'S
ACTUALLY A WONDERFUL PHENOMENON.
THE OLD-SCHOOL TOUGH GUY PRISONERS USED TO TREAT TOBACCO
WOULD BE LIKE, YOU ARE TRADING RAMEN?
I'M SURE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN FREED UP BY THAT, BUT THAT
IS A GOOD THING.
AND THE THIRD THING, RAMEN HAS BECOME TOTALLY AMERICAN.
IN THE OLD DAYS YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN SEEN AS ASIAN FOOD.
NOW IT'S LIKE HOW PIZZA IS SEEN AS AMERICAN FOOD INSTEAD OF
ITALIAN.
THAT IS HOW INTENSELY POPULAR RAMEN HAS BECOME, BECAUSE
IT IS A REALLY NICE, CHEAPER ALTERNATIVE WITH DECENT TASTES.
THAT COLLEGE STUDENTS LOVE.
YES, AND YOU KNOW WHY, IN THE COMMENTARIES IN THE PRISON IT'S
$.59.
THE AMAZING THING IS, IT'S BECOME SO VALUABLE THAT EVEN
THOUGH YOU CAN BUY IT FOR $.59, THEY ARE NOW TRADING IT ñ OR
TRADING MORE ñ
THEY ARE NOW TRADING IT FOR MORE EXPENSIVE ITEMS.
FOR INSTANCE, IF SOMEONE IS LOOKING FOR A SWEATSHIRT, WHICH
COSTS $10.81 OF THE COMMISSARY, PEOPLE CAN TRADE IN LIKE TWO
PACKETS OF RAMEN AND GET THAT.
MAYBE SOME OF THOSE GUYS WOUND UP IN PRISON BECAUSE THEY
ARE NOT THAT BRIGHT.
I'D HAVE A HEALTHY BUSINESS IN THAT PRISON SYSTEM, BUYING
RAMEN AND TRADING IT FOR ITEMS.
THINK ABOUT THE FOOD.
IF YOU ARE STARVING, YOU WOULD DO PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING TO
GET YOUR HANDS ON LIKE, SOMEWHAT SAFE FOOD.
THAT'S A FAIR POINT, ESPECIALLY FOR ME.
IF I CAN'T EAT THE FOOD THEY ARE ACTUALLY GIVING ME FOR MY MEAL,
AND IT'S GOING TO GIVE ME FOOD POISONING, WHAT WOULD I PAY FOR
THAT RAMEN?
LET'S KEEP IT REAL.
AS BAD AS THE PRIVATE PRISON DEVELOPMENT IS, AT LEAST
THEY ARE TRADING FOR SOUP THESE DAYS IN PRISONS.
IT HAS A POSITIVE SILVER LINING, BECAUSE IT IS AT LEAST A
HELL OF A LOT MORE HEALTHY THAN TOBACCO.