Michigan's new prison food contractor accused of skimping on meals to boost profits

[marmar]

from the Detroit Free Press:



LANSING — Aramark, the company Michigan officials have selected to provide meals for about 45,000 state prisoners, has skimped on food and overbilled corrections departments in other states, according to audit reports.

Florida and Aramark parted ways in 2008 after the state repeatedly fined the company for contract violations and an audit accused Aramark of cutting costs and boosting profits by skimping on meals.

In Kentucky, corrections officers and others said a 2009 prison riot was provoked by poor food service by Aramark, state Rep. Brent Yonts, a Democrat from Greenville, said Monday.

A 2010 report by Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts Crit Luallen identified food skimping, food safety issues and excessive billings and said Aramark refused to provide requested records related to its food costs, personnel costs and bonuses paid to managers. ...................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.freep.com/article/20130507/NEWS06/305080007/prison-food-service-aramark-audit-riots

[hobbit709]

1. I've worked in places where Aramark ran the cafeteria-worst tasting food ever. Even McD's was better

I can just imagine how awful it would be in a prison cafeteria run by them.

[WCGreen]

2. I am shocked, I tell you,Shocked.

[leftyohiolib]

3. one more incentive to stay out of prison

[pinboy3niner]

4. Sounds like the way private contractors feeding the troops in Iraq operated

Could there be a moral here somewhere?

[pipoman]

6. Yes,

food contractors use the cheapest everything and send the savings to their stockholders..

[pipoman]

5. As a commercial kitchen operator

the usual reason an institution goes to contracted food services is to save money. I know that the only way a contractor can save an institution money over them producing the food themselves is to use the absolute cheapest ingredients, the cheapest labor, and the smallest portions possible..there is just no other way to save anyone any money and pay the mother company (Aramark in this case) a profit. It is institutional laziness. I have never seen a kitchen ran by Aramark which I couldn't produce significantly better quality food for about the same money because the profit Aramark gives to stockholders goes onto the plate..I just did this about 2 years ago in a healthcare kitchen..

[dembotoz]

7. i hear the food budget at dachau was low-perhaps the new model

or they could serve rats like they do I china

[Aerows]

8. Or maybe we could stop locking people up for so long

for non-violent crimes like marijuana. Why is it necessary to lock someone up for years over pot? That would be tremendous savings right there.