About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2011)
Search: U.S. prison nation The United States imprisons more of its citizens than any nation on Earth. £ f Seriously: Google that shit. By anyone's I -j^ w count—the United Nations, the U.S. y l -V Department of Justice, academics—the United States keeps a higher percentage of M its (otherwise quite free) citizens behind bars W than anyone else, and often for a very long time. Not Cuba, not China, not Russia—no one puts so many of its citizens into prisons. In Georgia, one in 13 citizens is in jail, prison, on parole or probation, or otherwise subject to the cor rections system. Yet, we're the wealthiest nation on the planet by any count. It doesn't seem to make much sense. Anyone with faith in the American people eventually realizes that it is not some sort of criminality specifically endemic to Americans, some sort of inordinate propensity for evil deeds, that necessitates so many prisons. Rather, it is the eagerness with which the system devises means to imprison. To believe otherwise is to assume a criminal defect in the American mind. That's why it might come as a surprise to many to learn that Georgia prisons erupted in open protest last December. Called by many the largest prison strike in the nation's history, the peaceful protest was coordinated throughout as many as 10 separate state prisons, and involved tens of thousands of inmates. The typical racial and gang-defined divisions which mark the U.S. prison population were set aside to present a unified call for basic human rights. The prisoners' primary grievance was the unpaid labor forced upon them. "No more slavery," demanded the prisoners' press release, which they managefi to disseminate outside the walls. "Part of our purpose for doing this is that Georgia is the only state that does not pay its inmates at all," said one inmate, requesting anonymity. "Some guys in here work seven days a week and they don't get a dime." The 13th Amendment, while permitting the practice, names unpaid prison labor "slavery." The strikers' list of demands addressed concerns related to a general deterioration in conditions in prisons. It is simply a case of too many prisoners and too little money. Trying to have it both ways, the state adds more and more prison ers to the rolls while trimming its corrections budgets by, according to the inmates, significantly reducing vegetables in meals and demanding new fees on medicine for those with chronic illnesses, among many other tactics. Of course, it is only penny wise and pound foolish to feed unhealthy food to people for whose health care you are-likely liable. One inmate with chronic hypertension feared that the steady diet of cheap starches and fats (instead of healthy, vegetable-rich meals) was exacerbating his condition. With medical care reportedly something of an afterthought in the overfilled and underfunded prisons, this particular inmate's needs are of life- and-death importance. Nutritional and medical negligence can become a death penalty by another name. The cake-and-eat-it-too mindset of many state and federal legislators has led to millions of citizens in a system that government revenue cannot support. Last week, in a land mark case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the State of California, which had sought the ultimate cost-saving measure of simply overcrowding its prisons to nearly twice the state facilities' capacity. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing the Court's majority opinion, called the state's astounding over crowding a "serious constitutional violation," and the ruling demanded that California figure out how to release as many as 37,000 inmates. Regardless of how you view the penal system, it eventually becomes an implacable fact that a nation cannot embark on a project to imprison millions it does not intend to pay for. It is difficult to imagine the "correctional system" correcting much in these circumstances. In fact, the system might be harden ing the vast majority of citizens who enter prison very much capable of redemption. An unjust penal system stands the risk of actually creating more crime. Matthew Pulver INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR Multitasking: Usually, trying to give your attention to many things at once leads to failure on all counts. We can't all spread ourselves as thin as we think we can without quality suffering. So, when Kabana (211 Tallassee Rd.) first put up its sign promising American, Indian and Jamaican food, skepticism was the appropriate reaction. Happily, exceptions exist. The American selections include hot wings, burgers and hot dogs, which is great if you're dining with children or picky eat ers, but I'd skip them and go to the more interesting parts of the menu. Service is enthusiastic and occasionally flaky, but its unpredictability may result in your receiving an unexpected and superlatively wonderful plate of lima beans as an extra side. Flavored with a subtle tang of something that tastes like sumac or za'atar, they have a beautiful texture and marvelous savoriness. Eating something like that, you don't miss meat at all, and Kabana has a great selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes as well as lamb and pork. The samosas are the best I have had in Athens: large, crisp rather than soggy, fresh, full of tender ground beef, onion and vegetables. They come with two tasty sauces that aren't even necessary. Like the empanadas at Cali 'N' Tito's, they are the apotheosis of pocket foods. Not everything is awesome. Jerk pork was good but a little tough, and the tandoori chicken is entirely skippable; the bits on the bone are fine, but the rest is dry, even with a well-executed raita. I've had better naan. But most things are lovely, ren dered with flavors both subtle and strong. The Jamaican cabbage is gently sweet, not sugary. The lamb saag (in spinach sauce) is buttery and silky. I assume that both the chicken tikka masala and the korma incorporate the house-made yogurt, which is thin but wonderful. And while the vegetable biryani isn't tremendously exciting, it's still without obvious flaws. If both the large TVs under the overhang are tuned to CNN, you may feel a bit like you're in an echo chamber, but there's plenty of umbrellaed seating around the lot. Kabana is open for lunch and dinner daily, plus Sunday brunch, and doesn't have a liquor license at the moment but does accept credit cards and offers free wi-fi. t Pleasantly Unusual: It is a strange experience indeed to sit right next to the kitchen of a restaurant and hear the expe diter, servers and cookstaff conversing with one another in moderate tones of voice and an ample amount of pleases and thank yous, but it is emblematic of just how darn nice everyone is at Viva Argentine Cuisine (2270 Barnett Shoals Rd.). Viva is operated by Gaby Lindsey, former manager cf the Eastside Taco Stand, which used to occupy the same space, and her husband, Jesse, and it has made a nice transition from grungy local burrito joint to sweet family restaurant. The Argentine cheesesteak is a magical thing, a large but light sandwich of grilled ribeye with white American cheese sauce, mayo, caramelized onions and a zippy chimichurri that serves as the abracadabra that binds the whole thing together. Not many sandwiches in town can hold a candle to it (although the tortas at Sr. Sol and Tlaloc can compete), and nothing else has its particular combination of flavors that delight the roof of your mouth as much as your tastebuds. Another great dish is proveleta, an appetizer of grilled, smoky, thick-cut Provolone served with French bread and dressed with sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Yes, it's a plate of melted cheese, and it's hard to go wrong with that, but, like raclette, it somehow transcends its simple composition while remaining wonderfully mstic. The steak Viva offers is nicely seasoned, well cooked, dressed with the same great chimichurri and accompanied by excellent, buttery mashed potatoes. Pastel de papa, a sort of Argentine shepherd's pie minus the crust and topped with cheese, isn't quite as thrilling as I had hoped, and the empan adas, while available with a wide array of fillings, can be had better elsewhere in town. On the whole, Viva cares, and you can tell. The house salads have pretty, thin-shaved radishes in them, and the cupcakes are filled with mousses from blueberry to salted peanut and strawberry. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with a slight break in between. It does to-go orders rapidly and takes credit cards. Hillary Brown food@flagpole.com ...a beautiful texture and marvelous savoriness... Weekend Q/I'$fair (at Charmar) Our First Saturday of the month festival is June 4 ,h OVER 30 VENDOR BOOTHS Please stop by and visit us! Antiques & Collectibles, Memorablia, Vintage Clothing, Retro odds and ends Come check out our Garden Center We have some of the best prices in town Begonias, Impatiens, Herbs, Bed Plants, Grasses & More B join us on Facebook and Twitter for weekly updates about discounted items! www.weekendafair.com 790 Gaines School' Road - Athens, GA 30605 • 706-850-5945 JUNE 1,2011 FLAGPOLF.COM 9
