Contract Inmate Meal Program

About the Program

Category: Financial Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

The County of Los Angeles encompasses approximately 4,084 square miles with a populous of over ten million residents. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has twenty three temporary inmate holding facilities (patrol stations) in various locations throughout the County. There are eighty-nine city municipalities located within Los Angeles county, of which, twenty eight of he city’s police agencies operate their own inmate holding facilities. Arrestees can be housed in these temporary holding facilities for up to seventy two hours. The State of California Board of Corrections and Rehabilitation Authority’s Title 15 requires that these inmates are properly cared for, which includes proper nutrition consisting of three well balanced meals each day. The meals must meet the State’s established nutritional guidelines. The costs associated with contracting with private food preparation companies for these services can be quite expensive. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has developed an innovative Inmate Meal Program to ensure food products are handled safely, delivered efficiently, and are cost effective. By partnering with the County’s police agencies, the los Angeles County Sheriff has been able to help there agencies reduce costs for their city governments as well as meet the stringent County health Department and State Board of Corrections requirements. The developed program deserves recognition.