Healthy Jail Food Prisoner Meals and Commissary Prices

Conclusions 4

• CL1
  Meals served at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail meet all the standards required by the State of California for quality, quantity, and nutritional value.
• CL2
  The meal sampled at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail was flavorful, filling, and contained fresh local produce.
• CL3
  Prices charged by the Santa Barbara County Main Jail commissary are comparable to the prices charged for like items in local convenience stores.
• CL4
  The Jury found jail commissary prices to be comparable to those charged in local convenience stores. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and Aramark provide nutritious and economical meals to over one thousand prisoners daily. The 2013-14 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury found that the meals meet all the necessary guidelines pursuant to the California Department of Corrections standards. The meals are flavorful, filling, and contain fresh local produce. They are heart-healthy, low fat, and meet the nutritional guidelines of the State of California. 2013-2014 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury 3 HEALTHY JAIL FOOD FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Finding 1 Meals served at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail meet all the standards required by the State of California for quality, quantity, and nutritional value. Finding 2 The meal sampled at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail was flavorful, filling, and contained fresh local produce. Finding 3 Prices charged by the Santa Barbara County Main Jail commissary are comparable to the prices charged for like items in local convenience stores. Recommendation 1 That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office post each four-week cycle menu on its website. Recommendation 2 That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office post each Cycle Menu – Weekly Nutritional Analysis on its website. Recommendation 3 That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office post current jail commissary prices on its website. Recommendation 4 That the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office post the current Board of State and Community Corrections Biennial Inspection Report (including any Plan of Corrections) of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detention facilities on its website. REQUEST FOR RESPONSE Pursuant to California Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05, the Jury requests each entity or individual named below to respond to the enumerated findings and recommendations within the specified statutory time limit. Santa Barbara County Sheriff - 60 Days Recommendations 1, 2, 3, 4 2013-2014 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury 4 HEALTHY JAIL FOOD APPENDICES Appendix A Aramark four-week cycle menu - January 1, 2013 (Week 1 sample) Appendix B Santa Barbara County Jail Commissary Menu (2 pages) Appendix C Aramark “Cycle Menu Nutritional Analysis” – January 1, 2013 (Week 1 sample) 2013-2014 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury 5

Observations 1

• OB1
  Prior to the Aramark agreement, ingredients were brought into the kitchen by various vendors, stored in a large storeroom, and prepared in bulk quantities on a daily basis. There was a large kitchen staff consisting of county supervisory cooks and assistants, as well as prisoners who completed all the preparation, service, clean up and maintenance of the kitchen. Currently, prisoner meals are prepared by fewer kitchen staff and prisoners who follow strict recipe guidelines provided by Aramark. As a result, the Sheriff continues to provide meals that meet the California Department of Corrections standards.1 Contrary to the allegations in the complaint, meat is often used in the preparation of the hot meal, although a soy product is sometimes used as a protein substitute for meat. All portions are monitored. Prisoner meals contain a hot component and a cold component; each component is placed into an appropriate hot or cold delivery cart for delivery to the prisoners. Fresh produce is purchased locally. The result is a heart healthy, low-sodium, low-fat diet. Since the change to Aramark, serving portions are more consistent and stringent portion control is observed. The jail kitchen staff prepares approximately 3300 prisoner meals per day including about 50 special religious and medical diet meals. The meals provide a weekly average of 2500 calories per day. A four-week cycle menu and a Cycle Menu – Weekly Nutritional Analysis are prepared by Aramark (Appendix C). Prisoners assist kitchen staff in preparing freshly baked goods on a daily basis as part of a vocational culinary arts training program. Breakfast typically contains a cup of dry cereal, one-half pint of one per cent milk, a bakery biscuit, jelly, a packet of sugar substitute, and either two hard-boiled eggs, one ounce of turkey ham, or a breakfast bar. Lunch contains two sandwiches consisting of turkey bologna, turkey salami, turkey ham or peanut butter, and two packets of mayonnaise and mustard or jelly, two carrot or celery sticks, two sandwich cookies, and a one cup serving of powdered fruit drink. Dinner is served with a cold and hot component. The cold component contains green salad, coleslaw, or raw vegetables, fresh baked cornbread, roll or bread, canned fruit, fruit drink mix, and a packet each of salt and pepper. The hot component of the meal contains the main course of turkey ham, turkey hot dogs, chicken patty, beef patty, meatloaf, or a main dish using three ounces of soy, potatoes or pasta, and fresh cooked vegetables. 1 California Code of Regulations, Title 15, , Section 3050. 2013-2014 Santa Barbara County Grand Jury 2 HEALTHY JAIL FOOD Jury members sampled a dinner meal, as pictured, which included a 10 ounce serving of “American Goulash” containing three ounces of soy, elbow macaroni, and chopped fresh onion, three-quarters cup of garden salad, fresh cooked broccoli, fresh baked corn bread, two sandwich cookies, fruit drink mix, and one packet each of salt and pepper. The meal was selected at random from the line by the Jury. The Jury found the portions to be adequate. The temperature of the meal was appropriate, and the vegetables were not overcooked. Overall, the Jury found the meal was consistent in quality and quantity with what one would receive in any large institutional dining room. The Board of State and Community Corrections conducted the 2010-12 biennial inspection of the Santa Barbara County Main Jail. The inspection identified no problems with the food served to prisoners. In addition to regular meals, prisoners have access to the jail commissary that functions as a convenience store from which they can purchase snack foods and sundries. The commissary is operated under a four-year contract by Keefe Commissary Network. Both the jail administration and Keefe agree upon the prices charged for all items. According to the contract, a service fee is deposited into the Inmate Welfare Fund.

Agency Responses 1

Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.