Union: 100% fruit juice, prisons shouldn't mix

Font Size:

By Kartikay Mehrotra | Saturday, February 2, 2008 12:46 AM CST | () comments

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Department of Corrections might not be handing its prisoners cocktails during mealtime, but the state’s largest employee union fears the department’s decision to switch to 100 percent juice could lead to drunken prisoners.

Earlier this month, prison officials decided to reverse a decision they made in 2000 and swapped their 30 percent juice for a 100 percent variety. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union says prisoners could sneak the juice into their cells and turn it into alcoholic hooch.

“The reason you don’t sell juice is because it’s fermentable,” said Buddy Maupin, the union’s regional director for southern Illinois.

Maupin claims the Department of Corrections removed an anti-fermenting agent out of fear that when it is combined with ascorbic acid, often found in fruit juice, it produces benzene, which causes cancer. The ingredient is not listed on the juice carton, he said.

Department of Corrections spokesman Derek Schnapp insists there is no ascorbic acid, commonly known as Vitamin C, in the juice. However, the fermenting deterrent remains in the four-ounce juice cartons.

“Nothing has changed, as far as the hooch deterrent,” Schnapp said. “We’re looking into a Vitamin C additive, but that probably won’t happen this year.”

Schnapp admits the current juice boxes, given to inmates, do not include sodium benzoate, the fermenting deterrent, among its ingredients. However, the box does list Vitamin C, which is not in the juice.

“We are ordering new cartons,” he said, adding that the appropriate corrections will be made to the box.

The change to 100 percent juice will save the state $1 million annually while allowing prison workers to transport one less item into their prison cafeterias because 100 percent juice qualifies as fruit nutrition.

“Our daily requirement is a five-count of fruit and vegetables offered to the inmates each day, and 30 percent doesn’t count, 100 percent does,” Schnapp said. “What that does is take away one less item the inmates could sneak out.”

Prisoners in Illinois do not need to consume all of their daily dietary essentials. The state just requires that they be offered.

Schnapp said prisoners frequently are caught stealing items from the cafeteria, which simply results in confiscation. He could not clarify why the switch was made to 30 percent juice in 2000.

The union has requested that the corrections department send samples of the juice to be tested to ensure that it does not exceed the safety standards set by the federal government.

Kartikay Mehrotra may be contacted at (217) 789-0865 or via e-mail at Kartikay.Mehrotra@lee.net. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.

About hooch

According to “You are Going to Prison” by Jim Hughes, creating prison hooch is as easy as:

- Make a strong bag by double- or triple-bagging some plastic trash bags and knotting the bottoms.

- Into this, pour warm water, some fruit or fruit juice, raisins or tomatoes, yeast and as much sugar as you can get a hold of (or powdered drink mix).

- Tie off the top of the bag, letting a tube of some kind protrude so the thing won’t explode while it gives off carbon dioxide.

- Hide the bag somewhere and wait at least three days. A week is enough.