Elya Novopashennaya is a contributor to Current Time, the Russian-language digital and TV network run by RFE/RL.
Surviving Russia’s notoriously harsh correctional system is not just a matter of strength or smarts. It’s a matter of food, former inmates told Current Time – a daily struggle to stomach starchy, semi-cooked prison meals, or avoid them, and to obtain the healthier food that is vital to survival.
