Free. Live-streamed on Facebook and via Zoom webinar.

Join us as we explore the quality and consequences of food in America’s prisons. A new six-part report recently released by Impact Justice’s Food in Prison Project team explores inequities and troubling trends in prison food. A panel of experts, including two people who worked on the report, will discuss its findings and how COVID-19 has further shaped the dining experience in prisons today.

Leslie Soble is a research fellow for the Food in Prison Project and the lead author of Impact Justice’s recent report, Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison. An ethnographer and folklorist, Leslie holds an MA in cultural sustainability with a focus on the intersection of foodways, narrative theory, and social practice art. 

Kathryn Stroud is a research analyst at Impact Justice. In addition to supporting the Food in Prison Project, her research includes evaluating governmental and community-based organizations, analyzing disparities in the criminal justice system across race, gender, and sexual orientation, and providing training and technical assistance around data management and processes for partner agencies and organizations.

Wayne Williams, after serving 35 years in the federal prison system, currently resides in Philadelphia as a returning citizen. A Project Coordinator for the Food Trust with a background in re-entry, Wayne delivers nutrition education and food access support classes to returning citizens and participants at the Riverside Correctional Facility for Women, as part of the Food Trust’s work in addressing food insecurity in underserved communities.

This event is part of Eastern State's ongoing Searchlight Series of events addressing issues in contemporary corrections. The Searchlight Series discussions take place the first Tuesday of every month, free and open to the public. No reservations required. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, this discussion will place virtually.