Andrew Carey
IT WAS once the most famous dish associated with prisoners but the plain bowl of porridge must now make room to accommodate other such menu items as fresh fruit, cereals and muesli as inmate meals get a boost.
Ice cream, pasta bolognaise and chicken supreme are just some of the tasty treats served to murderers, high profile gang leaders and rapist prisoners in the some of the countries high security prisons it has emerged.
In figures and data recently obtained, the Irish Prison Service annual food bill for 2013 was in excess of €8.3m.
During one Sunday in March, Limerick prisoners who have been on remand or serving sentences at some of the detention facilities around the country were served chicken supreme, with the skin on, a serving of pepper sauce, turnips and roast potatoes were followed by a tasty bowl of ice cream.
Other dishes on the menu that week included breakfast items of cereals and fresh fruit, pasta bolognaise with mixed vegetables, cheese salad rolls and bun burgers with coleslaw for tea.
In 2013, the annual cost to house each of the 4,158 inmates was €65,000 per prisoner.
