In Kazakhstan, over 37,000 prisoners will observe New Year’s Eve as another ordinary day behind bars. Unlike in Europe and the U.S., where New Year’s Eve menus are often prepared for those in custody, Kazakhstan’s prisons do not provide special holiday meals. Kursiv LifeStyle explored how New Year’s Eve is marked in the country’s penal institutions.
For most, New Year’s Eve is a cherished family holiday, filled with festive meals and the hope for a brighter future. However, for those serving jail terms in penal colonies, the occasion is far less celebratory.
According to the Committee of the Criminally-Executive System (CCES), the agency under Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, there is no «holiday menu» in the country’s prisons. «Prisoners are served breakfast, lunch and dinner. Under penal enforcement laws, the daily routine in penitentiaries remains the same regardless of holidays,» explained Gulzhan Abdugaliyeva, head of public relations and ideological work at the CCES.
Although there will be no New Year’s feast, CCES institutions plan to hold social events for prisoners. However, the details of the program have not been disclosed. While the prisons don’t provide festive delicacies, inmates often receive treats sent by family and friends for New Year’s Eve. These might include tangerines and other fruits, though alcohol remains strictly prohibited.
In Europe and the U.S., prisoners in penal institutions approach New Year’s Eve and Christmas with greater festivity. In Estonian prisons, for instance, inmates enjoy traditional Christmas Eve meals that include blood sausage, pickled cabbage and tangerines. Similarly, in Germany, correctional facilities serve festive meals with chocolate and fruit desserts, and host evening parties from five to nine o’clock over several Christmas days. In Georgia, the holiday menu features Olivier salad, chicken and Coca-Cola.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the holiday menu for rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, who has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and facilitating prostitution, was recently revealed. Spending his first Christmas in a New York detention center, he may participate in activities like a basketball tournament or card games. For dinner, he will be served roasted Cornish hen, macaroni and cheese, and a holiday dessert.
