Women inmates refuse meals in protest, donate food to Sant'Egidio

Published: 2004-08-23

ROME (CNS) -- Women inmates at Rome's Rebibbia prison joined detainees across the country in protesting overcrowding and poor conditions in the nation's jails, but did it with a gesture of solidarity. The more than 300 women at Rebibbia, like male and female peers at other prisons, refused their meals Aug. 22, but unlike the others they asked that the food be donated to the Rome-based Community of Sant'Egidio, a Catholic lay movement. Prison officials and the Italian justice ministry agreed with the prisoners' request. On Aug. 21 the assistant director of the women's unit telephoned a Sant'Egidio volunteer who visits the prison each Thursday, told her the prisoners' plan and asked her to arrange to pick up the food the next day. Even though the prisoners told the Rebibbia administration that they would not be eating, by law the meals had to be prepared and offered to the inmates, said the volunteer who asked that her name not be used. When the offer was refused Aug. 22, the inmates who work in the kitchen loaded up a Sant'Egidio truck with the bounty: more than 300 helpings of rice-stuffed baked tomatoes, pasta salad, roast beef, green salad, bread, parmesan cheese, olive oil, milk, lunch meat, fruit, apricot pie and breakfast breads.

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