SIVACRACY.NET: Georgia Prisons Put Female Prisoners on Diets

Associated Press story here (in Rome, Georgia News Tribune) and below:

ATLANTA � Fast-food restaurants aren�t the only places getting health-conscious these days. Georgia�s prisons are, too. The state Department of Corrections is restricting the average number of calories female prisoners may consume on a daily basis to 2,472 � a 20 percent reduction from the previous limit. However, the policy, introduced in late summer, doesn�t affect male inmates who still get an average of 3,050 calories a day. Some lawmakers and civil libertarians object to the policy, saying it amounts to discrimination.

�I�m a little taken aback by this,� said Debbie Seagraves, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. �Calorie intake is just not standard from one person to the next, so to � just by a standard � decrease the available food to women because they are women does sound to me like discrimination.�

They also say the policy is unfair to some female inmates who may be larger or more active than others. Prison officials downplayed the criticism. �It�s for their own benefit ... for healthier inmates,� said Henry Brooks, deputy warden of security at Metro State Prison in Atlanta. The National Academy of Science recommends roughly 2,200 calories per day for teenage girls and active women. It suggests 2,800 calories for teenage boys and active men.

Thanks to Big Fat Blog for the link.