Nutraloaf - program punishment diets.

[Che Gookin]

http://http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/September-2010/Dining-Critic-Tries-Nutraloaf-the-Prison-Food-for-Misbehaving-Inmates/

My favorite comment is the suggestion that the government do away with food stamps and use these things as a replacement for them. Someone showed me this article and it got me to thinking about program punishment diets. Technically most states make that sort of thing illegal, but as those of us who have been there know, there are ways around it.

I've often wondered what other programs used for their punishment diets. I remember at 3 springs it tended to be a bland fare of white bread sandwiches of some sort.

How about you?

[Troll Control]

At HLA/Ridge Creek School it was whitebread with a single slice of processed cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

That, plus a steady diet of humiliation to make up for the lack of calories in the "restrictions diet."

[Whooter]

At ASR if there was a special night where they were having pizzas delivered or had an ice cream bar for that night a student on restriction may be denied the special meal.  But they were always served a balance diet as far as know.  The wilderness piece of the program was much more restrictive and the students did not have as many choices at meal time, but minimal calorie counts were met as far as I know.



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[Che Gookin]

Different programs are a bit more careful about following the letter of the law I'm sure. One thing I found commendable about E-kill-a-kid, well certainly I give the bastards no props for killing a kid, but they did have a sound belief that all kids ate as a group and all groups no matter how moronic they were acting ate the same food. There were no restrictions beyond dietary restrictions.

One of the hardest things about the job was having to serve the meals. Each counselor would sit at the head of his group's table and dole out the food to their group in a family style dining arrangement. So often I was doling out food to a kid who spent the morning calling me every filthy word in the book. As much as I might have wanted to spit in his food and smear it in his face it just wasn't on. Couldn't deny him dessert either.

It was difficult at first, but after awhile the non-punitive nature of the program caught on. The idea being it was punishment enough being in a program in the first place. No need to add insult to injury as the kids had nothing but time to figure out their behaviors.

3 Springs, well that is another story. I swear to shit that place is secretly owned by a Korean Conglomerate which regularly sends directives out titled, "FASTER FASTER. MORE PAIN, CHEAPER, LOYALTY, KIMCHI IS GOOD."

[Anne Bonney]

Straight's food was horrendous anyway, but the punishment diets were even worse.  The norm for us at the building was 'donated' food, consisting of usually spoiled cottage cheese and some either rotting or almost rotting fruit or a 'sandwich', which was soggy white bread with a couple of slices of cold cut 'meats' (I use that term loosely) thrown on.  These were accompanied by a dixie cup of either Kool-Aid or water.  The foods at the 'foster homes' ranged from barely adequate to sometimes quite decent depending on the family, but usually only on Sundays when we didn't have to be at the building until later.  And very often the families that provided decent food soon caught on to the bullshit and pulled their kids.  They were getting a glimpse of what the kids were exposed to when we were in the building, which was 12-18 hours daily, except Sundays when we could go in a bit later.

The punishment diets were peanut butter diets, which could and very often did go on for months.  The child received a small slab of peanut butter between two pieces of white bread and the ever present dixie cup of water.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner.  For weeks to months on end.  The parents were told to apply any punishments newcomers received at the building, however harsh or abusive, to them at their homes.  Some found it inhumane, began to investigate Straight a little further and ended up pulling their kids out.

[Che Gookin]

shocking that it never struck them as insane right up front.

[Maximilian]

For some reason the word Nutraloaf make me laugh, it's a funny word. At the private program I was at, we were fed well. I think the biggest complaint about the food is from people who gained weight, I've heard that complaint from girls who went there. They actually gave us a lot of food, I rarely was able to finish the portions. On holidays it was crazy, they let us eat as much as we wanted, and they had cake, and turkey and all the side dishes. So of course when given the freedom to eat as much as we wanted some indulged a little too much and ended up throwing up from eating too much. It was like a party atmosphere on those holiday days like thanksgiving and Christmas when they provided a ton of good food and you could take as much as you wanted. The only time food was restricted was when you were on the lowest rung of the program ladder, they'd limit the condiments, but that rule changed after I was there actually. So you couldn't get mustard and ketchup for hamburgers, or sugar for your breakfast oatmeal. But it only took like 2 days of behaving to get to the level you could get those condiments, so it wasn't a big deal. The only time I saw food used as part of punishment was when you were in isolation you got a different meal than everyone else. If I remember correctly it was a dry bagel and banana for breakfast, and a bean and lettuce burrito for dinner. It's not like they were starving us, but if you were being punished they didn't deliver you a good meal like everyone else was enjoying. Part of the thing about isolation is making you want to return to the normal population and so you will behave, and so giving you bland food is part of that process.

But when I think of all the people around the world starving right now, they would consider the punishment diet a great feast, so it's all relative. It's all relative, since we are all used to getting great food in any quantity we want. So for me to complain about the diet makes me feel  spoiled , out of touch with the real world, so I don't think it was an issue really. I'd rather be in a program getting a bean burrito, than in Africa starvinv to death wishing for anything to eat.

[shaggys]

Straight's food was horrendous anyway, but the punishment diets were even worse.  The norm for us at the building was 'donated' food, consisting of usually spoiled cottage cheese and some either rotting or almost rotting fruit or a 'sandwich', which was soggy white bread with a couple of slices of cold cut 'meats' (I use that term loosely) thrown on.  These were accompanied by a dixie cup of either Kool-Aid or water.  The foods at the 'foster homes' ranged from barely adequate to sometimes quite decent depending on the family, but usually only on Sundays when we didn't have to be at the building until later.  And very often the families that provided decent food soon caught on to the bullshit and pulled their kids.  They were getting a glimpse of what the kids were exposed to when we were in the building, which was 12-18 hours daily, except Sundays when we could go in a bit later.

The punishment diets were peanut butter diets, which could and very often did go on for months.  The child received a small slab of peanut butter between two pieces of white bread and the ever present dixie cup of water.  Breakfast, lunch and dinner.  For weeks to months on end.  The parents were told to apply any punishments newcomers received at the building, however harsh or abusive, to them at their homes.  Some found it inhumane, began to investigate Straight a little further and ended up pulling their kids out.

This comment brought back many memories. At one point in Atlanta we were receiving slop that people had sent back from the PO FOLKS restaurant down the road. Fried chicken with feathers attached etc. It was not unusual to get your piece of chicken and see that it already had a bite gone. But hey, according to Max I should be grateful for that right? I could have been in a desert somewhere starving to death instead. Gosh, how comforting that thought is to me. I feel the PTSD receding now.

[Maximilian]

I share my own experiences, and my own feelings about things. I don't tell other people how they should feel. I don't know why this is so difficult to understand, people have different views and experiences, there doesn't need to be a common denominator here that everyone agrees on. You were fed slop, ok, that sucks. It's great that program  you went to doesn't exist anymore. Where I was at, we ate well, and I don't feel like complaining about it.  You are free to feel whatever you want, and so am I. It would be nice if people can respect the fact people don't all share the same experience here. I'm kind of getting tired of responding to the "your experience and opinions infringes on my suffering" type of posts.

[Anne Bonney]

For some reason the word Nutraloaf make me laugh, it's a funny word. At the private program I was at, we were fed well. I think the biggest complaint about the food is from people who gained weight, I've heard that complaint from girls who went there. They actually gave us a lot of food, I rarely was able to finish the portions. On holidays it was crazy, they let us eat as much as we wanted, and they had cake, and turkey and all the side dishes. So of course when given the freedom to eat as much as we wanted some indulged a little too much and ended up throwing up from eating too much. It was like a party atmosphere on those holiday days like thanksgiving and Christmas when they provided a ton of good food and you could take as much as you wanted. The only time food was restricted was when you were on the lowest rung of the program ladder, they'd limit the condiments, but that rule changed after I was there actually. So you couldn't get mustard and ketchup for hamburgers, or sugar for your breakfast oatmeal. But it only took like 2 days of behaving to get to the level you could get those condiments, so it wasn't a big deal. The only time I saw food used as part of punishment was when you were in isolation you got a different meal than everyone else. If I remember correctly it was a dry bagel and banana for breakfast, and a bean and lettuce burrito for dinner. It's not like they were starving us, but if you were being punished they didn't deliver you a good meal like everyone else was enjoying. Part of the thing about isolation is making you want to return to the normal population and so you will behave, and so giving you bland food is part of that process.

But when I think of all the people around the world starving right now, they would consider the punishment diet a great feast, so it's all relative. It's all relative, since we are all used to getting great food in any quantity we want. So for me to complain about the diet makes me feel  spoiled , out of touch with the real world, so I don't think it was an issue really. I'd rather be in a program getting a bean burrito, than in Africa starvinv to death wishing for anything to eat.

Yeah, I'm sure the kids who got food poisoning from being required to eat spoiled food think back now and are grateful.  I mean, it was for their own good.     And they sure as hell starved quite a few people that I saw.  What do you think being on those "diets" did to the growing body of a still developing child?   Peanut butter for months on end?  But it's all okay because there are starving kids in Africa?

Everything's relative....doesn't excuse what was done to so many in the name of "treatment".

[Anne Bonney]

I share my own experiences, and my own feelings about things. I don't tell other people how they should feel. I don't know why this is so difficult to understand, people have different views and experiences, there doesn't need to be a common denominator here that everyone agrees on.

Because it's coming off as you trying to minimize what we went thru.

I'm kind of getting tired of responding to the "your experience and opinions infringes on my suffering" type of posts.

I'm kind of getting tired of responding to the "well, since you weren't outright killed, you should feel lucky" type of posts.

If you really are genuinely asking us about our experiences, then don't attempt to belittle or minimize what we went thru.

[Froderik]

Everything's relative...

What a classically lame attempt to "justify it off," as they used to say in the 'gram.  :bs:  :roflmao:

[Maximilian]

I'm kind of getting tired of responding to the "well, since you weren't outright killed, you should feel lucky" type of posts.

If you really are genuinely asking us about our experiences, then don't attempt to belittle or minimize what we went thru.

I don't say things like that, that's how you choose to take it. In a treatment center I was taught about "I statements" and "you statements". I talk about myself, my experiences and my opinions. I don't tell other people how they should feel. But I am willing to be honest about how "I" feel.

[Whooter]

Its amazing reading how diverse these programs are (were).  We have seen food service from outright rotten food all the way to having special diets prepared for the kids.  I think this is an area where regulation would be helpful in enforcing dietary minimums so that the use of food isnt used in a harmful way.

Overall I think the programs are very healthy from a dietary stand point.  Many of the kids who were eating poorly and over weight were exposed to a healthier diet and the daily exercise lowered their body mass to an acceptable level and vice versa for those kids who were severely underweight due to drug issues and poor diets on the other end of the scale.  These kids gain the weight that they needed.  You could tell by looking at the children which ones were there for awhile.  They were the ones with great eye contact, higher self esteem and and overall healthier appearance.

@ Max's post.  I dont think his intent was to minimalize anyone's experience.  If you look at how our kids are with food in America today then having them eating Lentils, rice and beans would seem abusive in comparison to the amount of food kids eat today on a daily basis.  So , I agree to a certain extent with Max, that being fed enough food is relative.



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[DannyB II]

I share my own experiences, and my own feelings about things. I don't tell other people how they should feel. I don't know why this is so difficult to understand, people have different views and experiences, there doesn't need to be a common denominator here that everyone agrees on.

Because it's coming off as you trying to minimize what we went thru.

I'm kind of getting tired of responding to the "your experience and opinions infringes on my suffering" type of posts.

I'm kind of getting tired of responding to the "well, since you weren't outright killed, you should feel lucky" type of posts.

If you really are genuinely asking us about our experiences, then don't attempt to belittle or minimize what we went thru.

Anne, he is not saying what your characterizing at all, your projecting this. I have posted also that Elan residents ate well, we did. Joe prided himself on feeding his kids. Roast pork, Roast beef, Steaks, Hams, Turkeys, Whole Chickens, Venison, Pizza's, processed meat (for sandwichs), fruits, all kinds of veg's,  pies, cakes, cookies, sodas (soda machine, like in McDonalds), milk and chocolate milk. I know I delivered the food. Most houses had hired cooks with the residents helping. I know Elan 3 ate well because the food Joe ate came from there, Elan 4 ate the best if you ask me because of, John the cook. That stealing SOB could cook "road kill" and you'd swear it was the best thing y'all ever ate. John got fired along with his wife (admin secretary) for stealing beef roasts from the kitchen.
There are several other programs I have heard here that your food was horrible, I am very sorry for this.