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[Slackratchet]

OK, how do I keep caged dwarf prisoners from starving to death?

[Megaman]

Scrap cages all together and use chains, set food stockpiles around the chains.

[NecroRebel]

You feed them. This works similarly to feeding wounded; dwarves with the "Feed Patients/Prisoners" labor take food to hungry prisoners. In previous versions, those who cannot feed themselves were given only simple foods like raw plump helmets or meat, so if all of your food is prepared meals, this might not work. I'm unsure as to whether that is still the case.

Alternatively, put a small food stockpile where the prisoners can get to from their chain (which is why you use chains instead of cages), and make sure it's got food in it. Hungry prisoners will feed themselves if there's food in reach.

Also, note that dwarves who don't like helping others won't be particularly good about feeding and watering prisoners, so it's a good idea to find dwarves who do like helping others and make them "nurses" who do little but care for prisoners and patients.

[Slackratchet]

I think I found my issue. I was out of booze and they don't seem to be bringing them water.

[Naresomez]

I've been having the same problem. I had a dedicated Doctor/nursing staff, set to a burrow encompassing the hospital, dining room, jail, food/drink, and other stockpiles (for the *CANNOT REACH STOCKPILE HURRDURR*), so everything should have been going smoothly, 'cept any dwarf that got caught on the wrong side of the law was thrown in a cage and left there to die... It may have been that there were "no simple foods" available, but I doubt it, considering they were dying of thirst as well, with access to plenty of buckets. (And if that is the case, it should be changed to function more like treating wounded patients, so all food is available.)
If chains were used (I'd rather cages), would dwarves still be watered, or would I have to  build a booze stockpile as well?

[malvado]

Seems that if you do use chains in your prison and also put it close to one of the frequently used corridors in your fortress , then the prisoners will be fed more oftenly.
When using cages most of my dwarves die unless they have a really short prison time.