KEY POINTS:
This year's Christmas Day menu for prisoners will be nutritious, but it won't be lavish, says the Department of Corrections.
Details of what the country's prisoners will be eating on December 25 were given yesterday.
"Christmas can be a trying period for prisoners and their friends and family," said the department's national catering manager, Russell Baker.
"Corrections is committed to providing prisoners with a safe, secure and humane environment while ensuring the day is marked in an appropriate way.
"The meals on Christmas Day are almost identical to those served on any other day with the added extra of a Christmas mince pie."
He said the menu was standard in all 19 prisons.
"Lunch is a portion of chicken, a serving of vegetables and the mince pie. Cold meat, salads and fruit will be dished up for dinner," he said.
Mr Baker said Corrections budgeted $4 a day to feed each prisoner, and the major difference on Christmas Day was that dinner was served at lunch time.
Prisoners will also be allowed to receive Christmas presents from friends and family, provided the gifts pass normal security checks. Maggie McNaughton
CHRISTMAS DAY MENU
BREAKFAST: Cereal, milk, toast, spread, yoghurt, coffee.
LUNCH: Chicken, potatoes, carrots and peas; Two slices of buttered bread, One Christmas mince pie
Vegetarian - jacket potato with pumpkin filling
DINNER: Slices of beef and ham, potato salad, lettuce, tomato, hard boiled egg, two slices of buttered bread, milk, fruit
Vegetarian - avocado with mushroom and rice filling
