A Catholic involved in prison ministry in Cuero, Texas, contacted us during Lent complaining that inmates at the TDCJ Stevenson Unit were denied requests for meatless meals on Fridays during the Lenten season.
The first thing we did was to verify the charge that Jews and Muslims had their dietary laws respected by the prison on their holy days. In fact, porkless diets are customarily provided upon request. We then wrote to the senior warden at the facility. When it became apparent that we were not going to get a response, we called. It seems that a new person has been appointed and she knew nothing of our request.
Why don’t you write to Brenda Cheney, Senior Warden, Texas Department of Criminal Justice—Stevenson Unit, 1525 FM 766, Cuero, Texas 77954. Introduce her to the Catholic League and ask her to establish an equal playing field. And tell her you want a response in writing.
If this doesn’t work, we’ll ask you to contact a Texan with high political ambitions. We have a hunch he won’t disappoint us.
