Tuesday, January 12, 2010

PETA Offers to by new fridge for Michigan jail

Should Macomb County Jail go vegan in exchange for a new freezer from PETA?
By Sheena Harrison | MLive.com
January 05, 2010, 4:41PM

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is making an offer that it believes the Macomb County Jail can't refuse. The animal-rights group will replace one of the jail's old, moldy freezers if County Sheriff Mark Hackel agrees to serve prisoners a vegan diet for the next year.

Macomb jail inmates have been surviving on bologna and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches after mold was found in the jail's 50-year-old freezers in November. Sheriff's department officials told the Associated Press that the freezers can't be replaced right now because the county doesn't have enough money.

In a letter posted on PETA's Web site, Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman offers to provide a new freezer to Macomb jail if it meets two conditions -- serving vegan meals to prisoners for a year, and tracking their health during that time to see if it improves. The organization also offered to help the jail develop a new vegan menu.

"Our proposal is a win-win-win situation: Inmates will get healthier, many animals' lives will be spared, and the jail will get some new equipment," Reiman said in the statement.

The Detroit News was unable reach Hackel for comment.

Considering the jail's current money crunch, PETA's proposal must be somewhat tempting for Macomb County officials. Should Hackel take PETA up on its offer? And which is the worse punishment for prisoners -- daily bologna sandwiches, or no meat for the next year?


© 2010 MLive.com. All rights reserved.