Most Prisoners Receiving Kosher Food Are Not Jewish

The Forward today has an article exploring the large number of non-Jewish prisoners who are receiving kosher food in confinement. Estimates are that only 4,000 of the 24,000 inmates receiving kosher food in U.S. prisons are Jewish. Some of the other 20,000 are still religiously motivated, such as messianic Jews or Black Hebrew Israelites.  But according to the report, others have less sincere reasons:

Kosher food is a hot commodity in prisons for a number of reasons. Some prisoners simply think it tastes better; many others believe it is safer than standard-issue prison fare, according to prison chaplains and advocates. Kosher food also often comes prepackaged, making it easy to trade or sell among inmates.

In California, kosher food costs the prison $8 per day, as opposed to $3 per day for other meals.