# How do you force feed a convict in a prison? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-force-feed-a-convict-in-a-prison/318753 "2005-08-26T17:07:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phlosphr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Phlosphr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phlosphr)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-force-feed-a-convict-in-a-prison/318753/1 "2005-08-26T17:07:39Z")
I’m not talking about intraveinous fluids I’m talking about [force feeding](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082600002.html) . Apparently one of the Washington/Virginia area snipers who killed all those people in 2002 doesn’t like the food he’s getting and has gone on a hunger strike. A judge recently authorized a force feed for him if he doesn’t start eating on his own. So how does one force feed a convict if they don’t wanna eat. Personally, for this guy, I’d let him spoil in his own juices… ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-force-feed-a-convict-in-a-prison/318753/2 "2005-08-26T17:09:37Z")
Intravenously? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-force-feed-a-convict-in-a-prison/318753/3 "2005-08-26T17:10:07Z")
> [@Phlosphr](#): > > I’m not talking about intraveinous fluids I’m talking about [force feeding](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/26/AR2005082600002.html) . Apparently one of the Washington/Virginia area snipers who killed all those people in 2002 doesn’t like the food he’s getting and has gone on a hunger strike. A judge recently authorized a force feed for him if he doesn’t start eating on his own. So how does one force feed a convict if they don’t wanna eat. > > Personally, for this guy, I’d let him spoil in his own juices… Dunno the legalities but you could restrain him and feed via nasogastric tube or intravenously (TPN and the like) ---
**Author:** ![deevee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@deevee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deevee)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-force-feed-a-convict-in-a-prison/318753/4 "2005-08-26T20:31:19Z")
My WAG would be that he would be allowed to starve himself until the situation became critical at which point he would not have the strentgth to resist. At this point he would be transferred to the hospital unit, shackled. and hooked up to an IV. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-force-feed-a-convict-in-a-prison/318753/5 "2005-08-27T10:13:02Z")
A historical perspective. In ‘ye olde days’ British [suffragettes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffragette) were force fed in prison, [here](http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/Whunger.htm) are some accounts of how this was done. The following is an extract from [this page](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/19/npank19.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/19/ixhome.html) > [@](#): > > Twice every day, four, five or six wardresses come in as well as the two doctors," she wrote. "I am fed by a stomach tube. They prise open my mouth with a steel gag, pressing it in where there is a gap in my teeth. I resist all the time and my gums are always bleeding. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-force-feed-a-convict-in-a-prison/318753/6 "2005-08-27T13:40:03Z")
I speak from experience, folks. Once a judge rules that the interests of society and/or the security of the prison overrule the inmate’s right to refuse food, a restraint chair is used, an NG tube is put down, and the patient is given a commercial liquid food product which supplies all the needed nutrients and vitamins. If the inmate is willing to leave the NG tube in, great! Otherwise it is withdrawn, and re-inserted when the next feeding is due. For those on a short-term food refusal, we can usually get by with one feeding a day. However, if the food refusal goes on longer, it may require feeding twice a day. And if the inmate is refusing to drink water, then we generally have to dilute the nutritional liquid to provide adequate water, and do the feedings via NG 3 times a day. Frankly, most inmates see the NG tube heading for their nose, and stop their food refusal right there the very first time. A few tough it out for a feeding or two, then decide they’ve made their point and start eating again. It is the rare (and annoying) individual who persists in their food refusal behavior month after month, requiring a **lot** of staff time, and taxpayer money to maintain his health. I really wish I didn’t know so much about this topic.