Jail sees rise in kosher converts

THE NUMBER of inmates identifying as Jewish has soared at a Scottish prison in what is thought to be a scam to get access to kosher meals.

More than 100 inmates at Glenochil Prison, in Clackmannanshire, have signed up to receive the meals, claiming they have converted to Judaism.

The prison authorities says it has no choice but to provide the food to the prisoners.

Tom Fox, spokesperson for Glenochil Prison, explained: “By law we have got to provide food for anyone who states they have a religious requirement to it.

“And it is true to say, where previously we have always had a very minimal Jewish prison population, we have seen a huge rise.”

According to government statistics there were only nine Jewish prisoners in Scottish jails from 2013 to 2014.

Providing the meals involves considerable additional expense for the prison service. All the food has to be outsourced as Glenochil has no kosher kitchen.

Mr Fox said: “I don’t think the prisoners themselves understand the preparation that has to go into providing a kosher meal.

“It has to be overseen by a rabbinic body and as such the food that ends up coming in has to be pre-packaged.

“I think there is the assumption that by identifying as a particular religion, that you will get you better food in prison but that is not always the case.

“And we have to do what we have to do if someone says they are a particular religion — we are not allowed to question that.”