Report Says Many Prisoners Claim To Be Jewish To Get Kosher Food

The AP reported Friday on an Idaho prisoner who has been denied kosher food because he has not shown that he is Jewish. The article says that 20,000 inmates nation-wide are claiming to be Jewish without being able to show that this is the case. Gary Friedman, chairman of Jewish Prisoner Services International (JPSI), said that many of these inmates are seeking kosher meals because they offer more variety and are seen as more sanitary. He said that many prisoners "have paranoia about how their food is prepared." Apparently JPSI validates for institutions whether or not a prisoner's claim to be Jewish is accurate.