Ira Black, arrested for an unpaid fine, has gone on hunger strike as none of his local correctional facilities accomodate a vegan/vegetarian diet.

'Ira has been a vegan for 15 years and it seems none of the local correctional facilities will accommodate any inmate with a vegetarian or vegan diet,' says Black’s fiancee.

'They will give inmates with medical problems or religious beliefs a different meal, but there is no concern for the vegetarians/vegans. He feels very strongly about this and has gone on a ‘hunger strike’ until his release later this month to show how serious this should be taken. The situation has been escalating hour by hour.'

He is now being mistreated by the guards and was forced to take off a sign he was wearing that said 'hunger strike.' He is also being coerced by deputies to ‘just go with the system’ and eat the food that is provided. He is being threatened and is worried he will be punished in unknown ways just for requesting a meal of vegetables and/or fruit.

Black himself has said, 'If I can just get the word out so that people will start calling the jail, there can be some changes made.'

'I want people to know how legitimate and sincere veganism and vegetarianism is and this is a serious human-rights issue, I’m not just trying to manipulate the system.'