Muslim inmates win Ramadan case over US prison food

A judge ordered prison officials in Alaska to ensure that the men had enough food during Ramadan

Muslim prisoners at the Anchorage Correctional Complex won their case after claiming that officials at the jail are providing them with inadequate nourishment as they break their daily fasts during Ramadan. (AP Photo/Dan Joling)

A judge ordered prison officials in the US state of Alaska to provide Muslim inmates with nutritionally sufficient, pork-free meals when they break their Ramadan fasts at night.

The men sued and argued that the meals they received each evening ranged from about 500 to 1,100 calories when they should be receiving 2,600 to 2,800 calories per day under national health guidelines.

In an order Friday, US District Court Judge H. Russel Holland said fasting Muslim inmates must be given daily meals containing at least 2,600 calories. 
The judge had indicated Thursday that he would grant the emergency order requested by two Muslim inmates being held at a jail in Alaska's largest city, Anchorage.