Like most prison systems in the United States, the Arkansas Department of Correction has a “loaf style nourishment” for those prisoners who have been restricted from dining in the cafeteria, usually due to some disciplinary issue involving mealtime. While technically meeting nutritional requirements, what’s sometimes called “disciplinary loaf” can be so bad that prisoners in other states have sued — and won — alleging it to be cruel and unusual punishment. As stipulated in the ADC’s Administrative Directive 13-86, prisoners can be put on “special management meatloaf” three meals a day for up to seven days, for infractions including throwing a food tray or impeding the distribution of meals. The recipe is different in every state, so we filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the ADC for the one it uses. While the ingredients actually don’t sound that terrible, the abject lack of seasonings would likely make standard prison chow taste like Michelin-star-grade cuisine by comparison. Whatever the case, the recipe appears below. It’s perfect for your next potluck at work, if you reeeally hate your co-workers. Bon appetit!

ADC SPECIAL MANAGEMENT MEATLOAF

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INGREDIENTS:

4 oz. nonfat dry milk

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3 slices homemade bread

1/4 cup cornmeal

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1/4 cup dry oats

6 oz. raw ground beef

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3/8 cup raw beef liver

1 med. raw egg

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7 oz. shredded potato

4 oz. shredded raw carrot

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7 oz. shredded cabbage.

4 oz. chopped spinach

2 oz. tomato sauce

4 oz. white beans, cooked and drained.

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4 oz. black-eyed peas, cooked and drained.

20 chopped dates

1/2 teaspoon iodized salt

4 oz. salad oil

Mix all ingredients together lightly and place in a meatloaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes or until an internal temperature of 155 degrees is reached. One meatloaf is to be sliced into three equal portions to provide three servings per day. Unused portions should be cooled in a shallow pan in the refrigerator to a temperature of 35 or 40 degrees. All refrigerated portions must be used within 24 hours. Unused portions, if properly cooled and stored, may be wrapped in foil and frozen. To use, thaw, heat to an internal temperature of 165 degrees, slice and serve. Do not refreeze. The meatloaf may be frozen for up to 30 days. After this time, it should be discarded.

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