More problems for state's prison food contractor: maggots found in chow served to inmates

[demmiblue]

Source: Detroit Free Press

LANSING — Officials found maggots in food in three separate incidents at a Jackson-area state prison this summer, countering expectations that a change in contractors marked a significant reversal in the state's prison food woes .

The discoveries at G. Robert Cotton Correctional Facility came amid ongoing complaints and concerns about lack of sanitation, insufficient staff training and food shortages involving Michigan’s prison food contractor, Florida-based Trinity Services Group, according to records obtained under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act.

Corrections officers and managers say there is a strong connection between food problems and prison unrest, meaning contaminated or poor quality food can be a security issue.

Maggots in and around food were an issue with the state’s former prison food contractor, Philadelphia-based Aramark Correctional Services, whose three-year, $145-million state contract ended more than a year early, by mutual agreement of the state and the contractor, in 2015.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/11/06/maggots-food-cotton-prison-jackson-michigan-trinity-services/825834001/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[janterry]

1. They offered us free food at one of the prisons I worked at

I tried it and it was not edible. I mean, there was just no way I could eat it. Awful.
(FL prison, trinity food).

[Sunlei]

2. doesn't make sense for any facility to use a contractor for meals when prepared meals can be

ordered from businesses like swanson or even from local businesses like grocery stores/resturants.

Or let trustees group prepare simple yet nutritious meals from scratch.

[csziggy]

12. Create a program in which prisoners are trained in food service jobs

They would learn skills that could be used on the outside. The prisons should be able to save money and the prisoners would have an interest in making the best food possible since they would be eating it.

Back in the old days a friend's uncle worked for the Georgia prison system. No, the conditions were not ideal but the prisoners did most of the work running the basic services of the system - they ran small farms connected to the prisons, raised most of their own vegetables - some prisons even raised chicken and hogs - then the prisoners did all the food prep, cooking and serving. They also ran and maintained the machinery on the farms and in the kitchens. Once they got out, they had skills and experience to take with them.

That system was dismantled some years back when privitized prisons became the vogue. The prisoners get out with no skills so the rate of prisoners return to the system has risen from what I have read.

[Sunlei]

13. yes. don't even have to grow their own- even basic veggies, meats, cereal grains are less expensive

at wholesale prices, wouldn't be hard for prison trustees to cook basic meals. They could even wholesale buy 'decent TV dinners' heat and serve add a couple pieces of bread for less then $1.

Local businesses (restaurants) also would be on board for providing 500+ 'meals' a couple times a month. That adds a lot of money to a local economy instead of private 'for profit' pockets.

"For profits" charge state/federal governments a ridiculous amount per prisoner because they're ripping out the majority of the money as "profit".

Plus it's just wrong to calorie starve prisoners and feed them 'toxic' foods.

[exboyfil]

3. It seems like you would only get one

opportunity to serve maggots. After that you hit the road.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Unforgivable. People who do this to others are sadistic criminals themselves.

They just haven't been put on trial, and they should.

Human rights violations.

You don't get to torture prisoners in a sane world.

[atreides1]

5. Private Prison Industry

Its all about profit!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Profit over people. Profit over country. . . . . nt

[pressbox69]

7. Be kind to maggots.

[procon]

8. Are those private prison food service kitchens inspected like all other foodie

businesses? Or do they get a special carve out that exempts them? Food from scratch is the most economical way to serve nutritious foods. Turn the food service over to any woman who has to feed her family on a welfare budget and she'll do better than the for-profit crooks.

[diva77]

9. I witnessed poor sanitation with private food service in a charter school. The charter school had

done away with having the former public school's cafeteria. The whole school had 1 part time janitor. The bathrooms had no soap. The food handler did not wash her hands when she arrived to deliver food. The school was filthy. The heaters were broken. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This whole privatization of prisons, schools, the military -- and partitioning school services so that private corporations can monetize each one is a complete and utter scam.

[brooklynite]

10. I think the word you're looking for is...protein.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

11. Maggots are extra!

Why didn't they submit a supplemental invoice?