Are pizza, chicken too much for inmates? Koreans debate holiday meals
The provision of special meals including pizza and fried chicken to inmates at correctional facilities across Korea for National Liberation Day has sparked an online debate, with some questioning why convicted criminals should receive holiday treats, while others said the meals were provided within existing budgets. Monthly inmate meal plans from correctional facilities around the country were…
A debate has erupted in South Korea over whether to serve pizza and fried chicken to inmates during the National Liberation Day holiday. Critics argue that convicts should not receive holiday treats, while supporters maintain the meals are within existing budgets. A review of monthly inmate meal plans from prisons nationwide reveals that some facilities are indeed serving these items.
At North Gyeongsang Province Prison No. 1 in Cheongsong County, inmates received half a pizza, while Cheongju Women's Prison in North Chungcheong Province gave out fried and seasoned chicken. Seoul Eastern Detention Center served seafood soft tofu soup, rice, and tomato-based dessert sauces, alongside pudding. The average cost of a single meal at correctional facilities in Korea is approximately 1,700 won, or about $1.20.
Meal menus are usually planned weekly and repeated over the course of a month. However, Article 29 of the Enforcement Decree of the Prison Act states that special meals can be provided for holidays.
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