The treatment of prisoners in Tasmania is appalling. 

And the food prisoners are forced to eat is high in fat, salt and carbohydrates.

The Tasmanian community needs to understand this - it is the deprivation of liberty that is the punishment.  Once in prison, prisoners are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.  And that means decent food, educational and recreational opportunities.

Dear Greg, please read “Out of sight, out of mind.”

Last time I looked most of our indigenous population had not committed criminal offences but do not have access to provisions of nutritional advice, exercise and individual case managers.

Even the Risdon prisoners can reflect on their comparative state or lot in life.

The deprivation of liberty is the punishment? That’s the legal definition. Sure, the courts administer the punishment, but the government of the day administers the institution in which the punishment is served. And the people elect the government. That is, the Tasmanian community.

So what about liberties inside the prison walls. Prisons are different throughout the world and no doubt offer differing degrees of priveleges/liberties to inmates. Isn’t that the site of contention. When you confront the community with the plight of prisoners, isnt that where the Tasmanian community will inevitably contrast the liberties or priveleges given to prisoners (in such a discussion “prisoners” will probably be described by opponents of reform as “criminals”) against the deprivation/hurt inflicted by these same criminals upon innocent civilians.

If it’s left to the community won’t they always err on the side of less rights for the incarcerated?
Politicians obviously sense this and are not prepared to potentially pay a price electorally as a result of being cast by their opponents as advocates for criminals. Opposition will obviously take any opportunity to exploit any perceived moral weakness in the govt. of the day, so it is going to require a government that is electorally secure, reasonably brave, or endowed with a degree of social conscience to progress Risdon prison.

Is our present government such a group?

As far as I can see they qualify on only one of those counts.

Personally I cant see how you expect to reform a criminal person by using an overwhelmingly punitive approach.

It is no skin off my nose if prisoners are given increased opportunities in the areas mentioned above by Greg. But then again I have not been a victim of crime.

Barns is right - morally, ethically, medically and legally.

In Australia, State and Federal governments have a legal duty of care to provide adequate nutritional services to all persons in their care, whether the institution is a hospital, psychiatric facility, accommodation for the intellectually disabled, the armed services, Refugee detention centres or prison compounds.

I completely understand the frustration underpinning Mark’s post regarding our indigenous communities but cannot - in any way - support his conclusion that somehow, prisoners should be grateful for sub-standard food quality simply because others aren’t even receiving that.

Neither situation is even remotely acceptable. The notion that some of us are more or less entitled to nutritious food - particularly in a produce-abundant country like Australia - is horrendous.

Re the quality of food served to prisoners - it is my understanding that cook-chill food from the same source is fed to hospital patients and it is delivered to Meals on Wheels recipients.  Medical staff doing shift-work and many chronically ill, elderly people have to rely on such food long-term. 
Cook-chill food is supposed to be nutritious - the fact that it is unappetising for prisoners doesn’t concern me as much as the concern I feel for the elderly and infirm who already have a diminished appetite - we should worry about the comfort of these helpless old people in their last years, not so much about prisoners who have offended against society.
I think it is important to stress that the prisoners haven’t been singled out - the same food is served in all government institutions - except of course in the Parliament House Dining Room!  Wonder why the rules are totally different for the haves and have-nots?  Why are parliamentarians fed the best of wine and freshly-cooked food when low-paid public servants and workers in the private workforce have to provide their own meals?  Silly me to consider such a triviality!
If the prisoners were kept busy - with education courses, hobbies, discussion groups, health lectures, drug and alcohol counselling, relaxation methods, anger management courses, methods of self-control/self improvement, etc, I think the food would become less of a flashpoint, especially when the prisoners demanded more junk food anyway:  pizza and KFC!
Perhaps prisoners could purchase treats of junk food (or otherwise) if they successfully completed self-improvement courses.  They need to learn the lesson of earning privileges, to ready themselves for return to life outside the prison system.  My concern is whether such resources for self-improvement are readily available to all prisoners.