Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison

A vivid exploration of an unseen food crisis affecting millions of Americans, Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison sheds new light on the power — and peril — of what’s on our plates.

Building on Impact Justice’s first-ever national examination of food in prison, our new landmark book digs even deeper into America’s hidden “food deserts,” where hunger and malnourishment coexist with shocking levels of food waste and devastating health outcomes.

Join author Leslie Soble, Vice President of Innovation Programs Aishatu Yusuf, and Impact Justice's Founder and President Alex Busansky for a powerful conversation about our nation's most overlooked food system, and what kinds of transformation might be possible when we bring everyone to the table.

About Leslie Soble

An ethnographer and folklorist, Leslie Soble has spent the past seven years immersed in research on the carceral eating experience in the United States and its impacts on individuals, families, communities, and the environment. She is an internationally-recognized voice on the critical issue of prison food and currently leads Impact Justice’s Food in Prison Project, where she oversees programs and interventions to increase access to nourishing food for people impacted by incarceration. She is a founding board member of the Coalition for Carceral Nutrition and a member of the Invited Faculty at the Nova Institute for Health. Leslie is the author of the new book Eating Behind Bars: Ending the Hidden Punishment of Food in Prison, released by The New Press on October 28, 2025.

About Aishatu Yusuf

Aishatu R. Yusuf, MPA, Ed.D. (c), is a recognized change-maker with expertise in the systemic barriers that keep individuals and communities from reaching their potential. As Vice President of Innovation Programs at Impact Justice, she oversees a portfolio of transformational projects that tackle complex social problems from an intersectional perspective. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband and dog, Aiko.

About Alex Busansky

Alex Busansky has spent the entirety of his career championing justice, working within existing legal systems, leading nonprofit organizations, and spearheading creative interventions that expand opportunity for system-impacted people. He is founder and president of Impact Justice and a Board member of the Ms. Foundation. He lives in Berkeley, California with his family.