After becoming warden of the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women, Margaret Chippendale noticed that women were leaving the system a lot heavier than when they arrived. She found that women were being served the same food as male prisoners, a 3,200-calorie menu filled with carbs, such as three slices of white bread at a meal “Women here already have a number of health issues,” Chippendale said. “This wasn’t helping.” In an effort to stem the weight gains, and combat chronic health conditions such as heart disease and diabetes that disproportionately affect inmates, she worked with a dietitian to retool the offerings and cut about 1,000 calories a day from the meals, the Baltimore Sun reports
About three years after the effort began, the prison has replaced the white bread with wheat and gives out less. It has added items such as fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as cottage cheese and yogurt full of the calcium the aging female population needs. It serves drinks with less sugar. Chippendale said she eventually expects to show savings on health care costs, including medications, the biggest part of her budget. The women in the prison, who have had a say in the new menus, report greater satisfaction. More are coming to the dining hall rather than eating food they buy in the commissary. They say that has improved morale, which could translate into fewer squabbles and heightened safety. The U.S. Department of Justice found in 2016 that half of prisoners had a chronic health condition and two-thirds were currently on some kind of prescription medication. Close to three-quarters were obese, with women more likely to be so.