HEALTHY JAIL FOOD
Prisoner Meals and Commissary Prices
SUMMARY
In July 2013, the Santa Barbara County Grand Jury received a complaint from prisoners about
the quantity and quality of meals served at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail. News reports
had also shed a harsh light upon changes made by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in
order to cut costs and provide nutritious meals pursuant to California standards. The complaint
also suggested that jail commissary prices were higher than the general public pays in local
stores. The Jury found meals meet state standards and provide a reasonable variety of
nutritionally balanced food to all prisoners, including special religious and medical diets as
required. The Jury found jail commissary prices are comparable to those prices charged to the
public for the same or like items in local convenience stores.
BACKGROUND
Prior to August 2012, all meals provided to Santa Barbara County Main Jail prisoners were
prepared by jail kitchen staff and prisoner workers. This included purchasing, receiving, storing,
planning and preparation. Meal costs were a significant portion of the Sheriff’s jail budget. In an
effort to economize, the County awarded a contract to Aramark, an international corporation that
provides food service to jail institutions. During the first year, Aramark reduced overall costs by
$85,392 and reduced food waste while providing nutritious prisoner meals.
In May 2011, the Keefe Commissary Network, L.L.C., was awarded a contract to supply food
and other related products to the prisoner commissary. Prior to this, the Sheriff’s Office operated
the commissary.
METHODOLOGY
The Jury inspected the jail kitchen and interviewed an Aramark official. The various aspects of
meal content, preparation, nutritional value, appearance, serving methods and menus were
examined. The Aramark four-week cycle menu for all meals served to prisoners was reviewed
(Appendix A). State standards concerning prisoner meals and the July 2013 Board of State and
Community Corrections Biennial Inspection Report were reviewed as well.
The Jury conducted an unannounced visit, randomly selected an evening meal, and evaluated the
food for freshness, temperature, taste and content.
The Jury also obtained a copy of the current jail commissary menu, and compared prices to local
convenience food stores (Appendix B).
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OBSERVATIONS AND ANALYSIS
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.

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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.
CONCLUSION
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.

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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

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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)

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