 Illinois Prisons |  Illinois Department of Corrections http://www.idoc.state.il.us/default.shtml
Although the Illinois Department of Corrections does not list regulations on their website, prison staff - both the Food Service Manager and the Chaplains - have been helpful in clarifying how inmates can get vegetarian diets. Below are slightly edited sections from an email we received March 2008 from one of the Chaplains:
- A diet does not necessarily have to be based on a specific religion requiring it or not.
- For example, a “Christian” can get a vegetarian-religious diet based on his/her own “personal” religious conviction even though mainstream “Christian” belief does not require a vegetarian diet.
- The interview process with the Chaplain would revolve around two areas of concern: First, the known and documented “doctrines” of the religion that in fact “require” a specified diet. Second, the inmate's expression of “personal” religious conviction. For example; they may use the phrase “my personal religious belief leads me to believe that “I” need to practice this diet for this reason”. Therefore, a “Christian” may say; “Though my faith as a whole may not require me to practice a special diet, I personally believe that I need a vegetarian diet to satisfy my personal beliefs in practicing my faith according to my “personal” understanding of biblical teaching.” This is in contrast to the inmate who may say; “I am a Christian and I am requesting a vegetarian diet because I would rather not eat meat as it upsets my stomach”.
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|  | |  | | March 2008We recently were happy to be able to talk with the Illinois Department of Corrections Food Service Manager. She was very helpful and explained that vegetarian diets are considered religious diets.
For that reason, the application has to be made through a chaplain. See the main section for details on which types of requests for vegetarian diets will most likely be approved. |
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