Death Row Inmate Requests Progressive Dinner For Last Meal
Â The Florida Department of Corrections offers death row inmates the option of requesting a final meal on the day of the scheduled execution.Â  Guidelines specify that food items must be purchased locally, and the cost cannot exceed $40.Inmates fill out a standard form, checking off available items from within the correctional facilityâs kitchen.Â  Additional items from outside the prisonâs pantry are allowed, within reason, as long as they do not exceed the $40 limit.Del Berkley, convicted of homicide and armed robbery in 2008, asked prison officials for something they had never seen before.Â  He wrote down âprogressive dinner pleaseâ as his last meal, the first request of its kind.Â  âThey were very popular when I was outside,â said Berkley.âIâd never heard of that before,â said Prison Warden Raymond Jeffries.Â  âI wasnât sure what they were, so when I found out I looked around the room because thought it was a damn joke, to be honest.âProgressive dinners are structured so that each course is consumed at a different hostâs home.Â  If the request were to be granted, special arrangements and precautions would have to be put into place to secure the safety and welfare of the hosts, their families and guests, as well as the surrounding neighborhood.âTechnically, the meal isnât costing the state any money,â said Berkleyâs lawyer, Scott Shultz.Â Â  âThatâs why we are pursuing what we see as a reasonable request within my clientâs rights.Â  Yes, he committed an awful crime, thereâs no doubt or justification for that.Â  But he is an American citizen, former taxpayer, and he enjoys fine dining in a social atmosphere.Â  He should be shown some humanity and dignity during his final days.âThe last mealâs monetary cap mentions nothing about off-site meals.Â  âThatâs something we should have thought about, looking back on it,â said Warden Jeffries.Â  âThen of course,â he continued, âthereâs the issue of finding people willing to let convicted criminals into their homes, and the fact that weâd have to do a headcount once an hour.Â  Itâs a complicated logistical issue.Â  I remember when my daughter got married, my wife and the wedding planner had a hell of a time just doing the place settings.Â  I stayed out of it.âThe request was submitted to Florida Governor Rick Scott, who convened a special meeting with officials from the Florida Department of Corrections, members of the American Civil Liberties Union, and family members of Berkleyâs victim, convenience store owner Martin Fales, killed during the 2008 robbery.âWe wanted to respect the family of the victim, while at the same time, honor the inmateâs request,â said Jeffries. Â âWe donât want to be seen as rewarding a violent offender, but in this case, and because of so much media attention on us, it looked that way.âIt is precisely because of this reason that many correctional institutions have done away with the last meal request for death row prison inmates.With Berkleyâs execution date fast approaching, the decision from the Governorâs office is expected soon.âI hope they allow it,â said Berkeley.Â  âThe regular meals here are just so predictable.Â  Same thing, day in, day out.Â  Itâs like youâre locked into a routine.Â  I just wanted a little variety â something to spice things up,â he added.