COLUMBUS, Ohio – College students might think their dining hall food tastes like prison grub. In Ohio, that could become reality.
Looking for ways to save money, the state’s correction department and Ohio State University are exploring whether to buy food jointly and in bulk.
Sure, not all the dining options of prison and college are identical. Sushi isn’t served in the slammer; it is on campus.
But despite the prison grub reputation in popular culture as slop slapped on a plate, food served behind bars and on campuses may not be all that different now.
Tacos, pasta and pizza are dished out in the cafeterias of prisons and the university alike, with some overlapping ingredients even though the recipes probably differ.
That’s a menu lineup that stands in contrast to the images in Ohio State senior Ben Wallace’s head though the 23-year-old biology major admits his knowledge of prison meals comes from the movie “The Shawshank Redemption.”
“I would just imagine that it’s more canned food and stuff that’s preserved,” said Wallace, of Findlay.
