Can you get kosher food in jail?

Summary: For years, Florida refused to provide religious Jewish prisoners with kosher food. The U.S. government sued, claiming violation of religious rights, and recently won the law suit. Florida is now required to provide kosher food to prisoners. Click here for article.

Discussion Outline

• What happens when someone breaks a law and is caught? Have the kids think through the whole due process routine. (Answer: They go to jail; they have a trial; they get sentenced)
• When someone is in jail, what is life like usually? (Clue: They can't have many things from their normal life. Like what?) (Answer: They have to wear prison uniforms, sleep with prison blankets, and eat prison food). 
• What happens if someone keeps kosher and is sent to jail but there is no kosher food available? How do they feel? 
• Florida got in big trouble because of this. There is a rule in America that everyone has the right to practice their religion according to their religious beliefs. How was Florida breaking this rule? 
• Why do we have this rule in America? (Can discuss pilgrims leaving England so they could be free to practice their religion)
• A judge just found that Florida has to serve kosher food to Jewish inmates who ask for it. What do you think of this and why? 
• What do you think is the hardest part of being in jail?