Limited amount of favorite food in Michigan prisons

People living in prisons in Michigan give up many freedoms they had previously enjoyed, making every little opportunity for choice highly important in their daily lives.

One of the choices some inmates may have is what food they may buy in the prison commissary to later prepare for themselves. Unfortunately, recent events have contributed to a serious shortage of a long-time favorite among many in the state’s prisons.

Ramen’s special status in Michigan prisons

According to a report by the Detroit Free Press, Ramen Noodles rank high on the list of favorite foods by many living in the Michigan prison system. With an estimated 2.5 million packages of these noodles purchased in prison commissaries from January through May of 2020 alone, the popularity of this item rings clear. In fact, half of the 10 most popular and frequently purchased items in commissaries are some flavor or form of Ramen Noodles.

Plant shutdown limits ramen supply for prisons

A local food manufacturing plant that produces and supplies ramen noodles to the prisons in Michigan recently shut down its operations. The duration of the shutdown remains unknown at this time.

Before the shutdown, inmates were allowed to purchase as many as 30 packets of ramen noodles in commissaries every other week. Now, however, they are limited to half that amount. Warnings about potential outages of the noodles have also been broadcast to inmates. These noodles provide inmates with the opportunity to create a variety of meal types and flavors with solid nutrition and at a low cost. The limited supply will no doubt be challenging for some in Michigan’s prisons.