Page 84 - Summer2009

Soy Alert!

CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT:
UPDATE ON THE ILLINOIS SOY PRISON CASE
By Sally Fallon Morell

When Rod Blagojevich was elected gover- requests for a soy-free diet are denied. The men
nor of Illinois in 2002, he immediately made a are told, “If you don’t like the food, don’t eat it.”
change in the prison diets. Beginning in January That means that unless they can afford to pur-
2003, inmates began receiving a diet largely chase commissary food, they must eat the soy
based on processed soy protein, with very little food or starve. To date we have heard from over
meat. In most meals, small amounts of meat or one hundred inmates describing their symptoms
meat by-products are mixed with 60-70 percent and begging for an end to the soy-based diet.
soy protein; fake soy cheese has replaced real In October, 2008, we sent an “Open Letter to
FKHHVH DQG VR\ ÀRXU RU VR\ SURWHLQ LV QRZ DGGHG President-Elect Barack Obama” as a press release
to most of the baked goods. (see http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/obama-
The governor’s justification for replac- letter.pdf). This letter was widely circulated on
ing nutritious meat and cheese with toxic soy WKH LQWHUQHW DQG VHQW WR HYHU\ HOHFWHG RI¿FLDO LQ
SURWHLQ ZDV ¿QDQFLDO²WR ORZHU WKH HQRUPRXV the state of Illinois, with a follow-up phone call.
costs of running the Illinois Department of Cor- The result: silence. No response, and no articles
rections. However, the likely reason is payback in major media.
for campaign contributions from Archer Daniel
Midlands, the main supplier of soy products to LAWSUIT
the Illinois prisons. :LWK HOHFWHG RI¿FLDOV WXUQLQJ WKHLU EDFNV
on the plight of prisoners, our only recourse is
SUFFERING OF INMATES the courts. The Weston A. Price Foundation has
Early in 2007, the Weston A. Price Foun- hired an attorney to represent several inmates
dation began hearing from inmates who were incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Cor-
suffering from a myriad of serious health prob- rections system. The Foundation’s attorney
lems due to the large amounts of soy in the diet. has entered his appearance on behalf of three
These prisoners had found us through the Soy inmates, has had contacts with several other
Alert! section of our website. Complaints include inmates, has served several subpoenas upon the
chronic and painful constipation alternating wardens of several facilities for documents and
with debilitating diarrhea, vomiting after eating, other information, and has informed the Court
sharp pains in the digestive tract, especially after that additional inmates will soon be named in an
consuming soy, passing out, heart palpitations, amended complaint.
rashes, acne, panic attacks, insomnia, depression The lead case is captioned Harris et al. v.
and symptoms of hypothyroidism, such as low %URZQ HW DO &DVH 1R FY DQG LV
The suffering body temperature (feeling cold all the time), brain currently pending before the Honorable Harold

of these men fog, fatigue, weight gain, frequent infections and Baker in the United States District Court for the
Central District of Illinois. The suit seeks an
enlarged thyroid gland. Since soy contains anti-
is intense and fertility compounds, many young prisoners may injunction putting a halt to the use of a soy-laden
medical care be unable to father children after their release. diet in the prison system.
The suffering of these men is intense and
is palliative at medical care is palliative at best. Many have had HOW YOU CAN HELP
best. sections of their digestive tract removed, but all Donations to the Weston A. Price Foundation

82 Wise Traditions SUMMER 2009