In the US, a last “special” meal is a common practice with requests granted within reason.
In fact, Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England state that “during the short but awful interval between sentence and execution, the prisoner shall be kept alone, and sustained with only bread and water”.
Despite this superstition, there is nothing in law that requires a prisoner to be afforded a last meal. The acceptance of a last meal is said to symbolise peace, with the condemned agreeing to forgive the executioner, the judge, and witnesses for the killing. Observing the custom is said to prevent the condemned from returning as a ghost to haunt those responsible with the better the food and drink, the stronger the condemned’s forgiveness. In pre-modern Europe, the tradition of granting a man’s condemned last meal is said to be rooted in superstition. Offering a condemned prisoner their choice of a last meal is customary in many cultures with various traditions upheld in different countries. In France a “little glass of rum” is offered to the condemned but no meal, while in the US a meal is offered but usually requests for alcohol or cigarettes are denied. However such luxury is rarely afforded behind prison walls, despite many a prisoner pushing their luck. It’s a difficult question that you might have asked yourself before if you knew the next meal was to be your last, what would you choose?Ī bottle of Château Lafite and a prime beef steak, a Maine lobster with a crisp Chardonnay or a white truffle risotto with a glass of vintage Champagne might be popular choices.
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