Chapter 13

Food Service

Objectives

• Explain the training requirements for food service departments and outline the process of food preparation and storage

• Describe the main security challenges posed by food service operations in prisons and jails

• Explore the various methods used to serve meals to inmates

Introduction

• Poor kitchen management can result in negative reactions from the inmate population

• Food service operation is subject to more scrutiny than most aspects of the facility

• Food service staff have to ensure that meals taste good, meet appropriate nutritional requirements, portions are appropriate, and sanitary conditions are maintained

Extensive Training Requirements

• Both internal and external demands place heavy pressure on corrections food departments

• Effective management of this department positively influences the overall function of the institution

• Potential exists for disruptive action from dissatisfied inmates or a calming effect from a good food program

American Correctional Food Service Association

• Works to enhance, represent, and promote the correctional segment of food service industry

• Provides education seminars, tours of food service operations, written educational materials, and opportunities to discuss issues of common interest and establish a network among correctional food service professionals

• Certification program to raise professional standards among food service personnel

Historical Background

• Early prisons in US were private, and inmates had to pay for food, bedding, water

• Not until 1970s that the public became concerned with the state of correctional facilities

• Courts attempted to define some rights and impose standards on a case-by-case basis

• ACA developed standards including food service in 1977

• Most institutions have a full-time food service manager

Food Service Facilities and Equipment

• Some institutions have state-of-the-art facilities, where others are outdated

• Most common serving method is cafeteria system

• In jails and facilities without a cafeteria, meals are preplated in the kitchen and sent to the housing unit on trays or carts

Menu Preparation• ACA standard requires advanced menu

planning• Jails have 1 week advanced preparation of

meals due to limited storage• Prisons have a 28 day menu rotation• Menus are planned by food service manager

and/or dietitian• Should reflect inmates’ cultural and ethic

preferences, as well as medical and religious needs

Food Supplies and Storage

• Common sources are state purchasing warehouses, state contracts, local wholesale food distributors, local vendors

• Some systems have farms• All food should meet or exceed government

standards• Temperatures should be checked and

recorded as required

Food Preparation

• Many institutions use Armed Forces Recipe Cards as guides for food preparation

• Institution should have daily cleaning and inspection system to ensure sanitation

• Also need a hazard analysis critical control point system to ensure all procedures are followed

• Clean uniforms and aprons should be worn, as well as head coverings and beard guards

Special Diets

• Medical diets should require medical authorization

• Religious diets should be approved by the chaplain

• Special diets should be specific and furnished in writing to food service manager

• Need system to ensure that only authorized inmates receive special meals

Meal Service

• Dining room creates a potential site for serious disturbances

• Should be designed to enhance attractiveness of meal time atmosphere

• Food should be served promptly after preparation and at appropriate temperature

• Control of eating utensils should be maintained

Dining Room Routine

• Inmates should be given time to wash before eating and should be fully clothed

• Dining room should provide normal group eating areas and permit conversation

• Line cutting should be monitored closely by staff

Unit Dining• Primarily used in jails and regional adult

detention centers• Meals are preplated and sent to housing area• Food carts should be searched for contraband• Inmates should not serve food to other

inmates in segregation• Inmates must be required to give back all

utensils and other items on the tray

Commissary Options

• Inmate store is usually available for inmates to purchase a wide variety of discretionary food items

Supervision Issues

• Kitchen area should be out of bounds for non kitchen workers

• Institution should have specific system for searching vehicles, loads, and drivers

• Trash control is another security issue related to escape attempts

Controlling Kitchen Tools

• Tool control is primarily related to knives• Should be stored in a locked cabinet in a

secured area• Written inventory of all items should be kept

and checked at each shift change• Equipment should be constantly checked to

make sure no parts are missing

Yeast, Sugar, and Extract Control

• Can be used to make homemade alcohol• Extract contains alcohol and may simply be

drunk by inmates• Inmates with unusual amounts of sugar, fruits,

or unbaked bread should be viewed with suspicion as potential brew makers

Food as an Incentive

• Staff should never be allowed to use food as payment for work or as a special privilege

Conclusion

• Food service operations are very important to an institutional routine

• Food service staff must observe proper nutrition, cost controls, security, and supervision practices in the food preparation area

• A well-run food operation will greatly enhance the morale, safety, and security of the prison setting

Chapter 14

Financial Operations

Objectives

• Describe key concepts applying to the fiscal management of penal institutions

• Name at least three approaches to prudence in the utilization of public funds

• Explore the issues that can cause balanced budget failure

Understanding Financial Operations

• Budget development – formulation of funding request

• Budget execution – expenditures and distribution of funds

• Budget oversight – systems and internal controls that ensure that funds are used in a manner consistent with budgetary goals

Understanding Financial Operations (cont.)

• Public administrators need to be cautious about the perception of expenditures (ex. excessive landscaping)

• Budget-tracking staff ensure that money is spent as planned and appropriately conserved

• Common sense and good public stewardship should be exercised by all with authority to spend funds

Political Influence• Correctional staff should never forget that

typically public funds are utilized to create, operate, and otherwise manage all correctional facilities

• Elected representatives provide broad policy guidelines within the criminal justice system and make sure that an institution’s financial decisions reflect those policies

• Every aspect of correctional management is subject to law, policy, guidelines, rules, and other controls

Budget Development

• Anticipating and planning future requirements is critical

• Per capita costs of inmate management must be factored into the daily cost of projections along with adjustments for anticipated inflation

• Capital outlay must be included• Poor planning can lead to crisis management

Budget Development (cont.)

• Budgeting for Human Resources– Most important and expensive part of institution

budget– Senior administrators attempt to do more with

less, but managers have to use overtime for reasonable supervision

– Caution should be exercised when attempting to reduce correctional security personnel to save money

Budget Development (cont.)

• Budget and Planning Committees– Subject matter experts should provide the

rationale behind the funding requirements needed to operate their developmental programs

– Committee should serve in an advisory capacity to chief executive officer

– History of past obligations, anticipated new costs, and projections of a funding source for unanticipated expenses should be well-substantiated

Managing the Institutional Budget

• Ebb and flow of prison and jail management requires some flexibility in financial management

• Financial staff should be on the lookout for invalid obligations

• Early detection of disparities in the budget is critical to an administrator’s ability to take corrective action

• Financial auditing is critical to the integrity of the budgeting process

Managing the Institutional Budget (cont.)

• Internal requirements might include:– System for accountability for purchasing and

maintaining property and equipment– Policies limiting or eliminating personal use of

equipment– Second level of procurement authority to ensure

that contracts and small purchases are competitively priced

– Documentation to support destruction of property

Managing the Institutional Budget (cont.)

• Jail and prison staff must be aware of special funds for which staff have stewardship responsibility

• Inmate canteen committee could allow inmates to have a voice in the use of canteen profits

• Public scrutiny must be an important consideration in all aspects of institutional spending

Conclusion

• Many benefits to providing basic financial knowledge to correctional leadership

• Stewardship of the public’s resources requires conservative decision making, a well-developed sense of integrity, and the ability to apply administrative accountability in the overall process

Chapter 15

Working with the Media

Objectives

• Explain the positive and negative aspects of media access to prisons from the perspective of the public and of prison administrators

• Identify the key elements of an effective media strategy

• Outline aspects of good media training

Introduction

• Reporters frequently produce stories about the plight of inmates

• Most stories portray prisons negatively and rarely provide an accurate description of what goes on behind institutional walls and fences

• Written policy on handling media requests is very helpful

Media Access: Legal Considerations

• Pell v. Procunier – Supreme Court concluded that prisoners had adequate means of communicating via mail and with family and friends and did not have a right to face-to-face interviews with the media

• Saxbe v. Washington Post – First Amendment does not guarantee the press a right to access information that is not available to the public

Interview Considerations

• Many correctional jurisdictions believe it is important to permit representatives of the media into institutions to interview specific prisoners

• Questions to consider:– Who is making the request?– What is the purpose of the intended story?– What will be the demands on staff?– What will the effect be on prison operations?

Administrative Concerns

• Foremost responsibility is to maintain safe and orderly operation of the prison facility

• Substantial or sustained media coverage of a particular inmate has the potential to create difficulties for the inmate and administrators

• It makes sense to grant media requests if they can be accommodated with minimal disruption and little threat to safety

Media Access Policies

• More restrictive policies run the risk of angering the public and media

• Must be accountable for expenditure of public funds

• Should be cautious to not routinely grant requests to just one source and deny requests from another

Media Access Policies (cont.)

• Written policy should include:– All media requests should be in written form– Representative should make reasonable attempts

to verify allegations– Must make an appointment to visit– Inmates may not receive compensation– Request for interview can originate from inmate

or media– Administrator should approve or disapprove

requests in a timely manner

Media Representatives

• Responsibility of the institution’s liaison to work with the author to learn about the story and minimize distortions of prison

• Effective PIO will provide effective sound bites to ensure the most positive portrayal of the institution and staff

• Correctional institution will also sometimes contact the media for newsworthy events

Community Coverage

• Prison or jail administrators will most likely have to actively solicit media support for worthy programs

• Members of the community can also provide positive media coverage

Conclusion

• Focus of media coverage will vary• There will be opportunities for positive

exposure, and therefore, the institution should maintain positive relationships with members of the media

Chapter 16

Community Relations Boards

Objectives

• Describe the primary purpose of a community relations board

• Outline the goals of successful CRBs• Explain the logistics involved with setting up

and running CRBs

Introduction

• Community relations boards can help a community and a correctional institution live together as neighbors and partners

Composition of CRBs

• Nominations can be sought from agencies or individuals

• Local facilities need to tailor to their needs• Several groups should be represented:– People affected by physical presence – Local officials– Outreach members who provide a link to the

community

Objectives of CRBs

• Improved Communication– CRB members can provide honest and worthwhile

feedback from the community perspective– Enable the exchange of accurate information

between the community and facility– Facility can remind community representatives

that staff live in the same neighborhoods they do and want the neighborhoods to be safe

Objectives of CRBs (cont.)

• Ease of Reentry– Citizens demand good information and

reassurance with respect to reentry– Issue of reentry is to end the cycle of recidivism– Accountability and support for inmates returning

to public life is a vital task– CRBs can serve as important bridges to the

community to provide for effective reentry

Objectives of CRBs (cont.)

• Community Involvement in Institutional Programming– Board meetings can highlight different prison

programs and introduce staff to the members– Can help members understand the needs and

mandates of the facility– CRB can look for volunteer opportunities within

the facility– May help develop programs where the inmates

can contribute to the community

Logistics• Institution staff should inform prospective members

of scheduled meeting times before they are asked to participate

• May be appropriate to set term limits in advance• Chair facilitates meetings through an agenda• Bylaws should be structured by superintendent with

input from board members• Community needs to be aware of board’s existence

and name of members

Conclusion

• CRB can contribute greatly to an institution and its community

• Capacity of a CRB to react to incidents and prevent confusion can be a great service to all

• Members can help develop a partnership between the institution and the community

Chapter 17

Political Involvement

Objectives

• Distinguish between a spoils system and career service

• Outline the importance of correctional administrators working with legislators

• Identify the types of issues posed by implementing legislation in the correctional environment

Political Interest in Prison Operations

• Federal and state legislators attempt to substantially affect correctional operations

• Legislators forced correctional officials to reduce or eliminate many programs and recreational opportunities

• Most correctional administrators believe that programs and recreation are necessary to provide for self improvement and inmate management

Implementation of Laws

• Administrators should avoid the strife of politics

• Legislators establish policy and administrators implement their decisions

• Leadership in federal system have always been career civil servants

• State systems differ between civil servants and political appointees

Political and Societal Changes Affect Penal Facilities

• The public expects prison and jail environments to be severe and punishing

• It is difficult and dangerous to withdraw privileges or programs from prisoners once these privileges and programs have been given

• As civil servants, all staff are expected to fulfill the requirements of the law regardless of personal opinion

Conclusion

• Politicians are increasingly interested in prison operations and demand results

• Senior staff must exert leadership beyond the prison fences

• It is not appropriate for civil servants to lobby or otherwise directly seek to influence representatives