Rikers Island is certainly no place to be picky about food, but for inmate Michael Isolda, it almost led to his death. Formerly weighing 460 pounds, Isolda had gastric bypass surgery, turning him into a twig. Along with the weight loss though, eating restrictions have to be imposed in order to maintain good health.
When he was sentenced to jail for a violation of his parole in March 2011, Isolda had dropped to 160 pounds, and had the stomach of a small child. Isolda claimed he needed at least 15-30 minutes to safely eat food, while Rikers only allows inmates a measly 5 minutes. Because of his altered stomach, Isolda couldn't hold down any of his meals and threw up after almost every meal.
"For me, Rikers Island was a death sentence," Isolda told Brooklyn Federal Court. An emaciated Isolda is suing the city for $80 million, which may be worth all that puking.
