THE BIG STORY SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 2019
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magicvalley.com
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SECTION E
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
Staff Sgt. Troy Tolman discusses how food is prepared April 18 during a tour of the Jerome County Detention Center kitchen in Jerome.
What’s cooking
in the Magic Valley? Food service standards are voluntary for county jails More online
HEATHER KENNISON
hkennison@magicvalley.com
T
WIN FALLS — Food can be a hot-button issue among inmates who have traded many of their personal freedoms for a stark cell. They have little choice in their daily lives once incarcerated, and almost no input on what lands on their plates. Tensions tend to run high as inmates stay days, weeks or even months awaiting trial. While they are now clad in bright orange jumpsuits, Twin Falls County Sheriff ’s Office Sgt. Justin Kimball notes that before they were behind bars, they blended in like friends or neighbors. For some detainees, it’s a real struggle when they lose authority over daily life decisions. Food, especially, can be contentious among inmates at county jails. “Food is the No. 1 cause of riots in jails and prisons,” Cindy Malm, jail standard coordinator and inspector for the Idaho Sheriffs Association, said in an April 22 phone interview. Earlier this year, nearly 1,700 inmates in a Franklin County, Washington, prison went on a hunger strike to protest the quality of their breakfast food. Here in Idaho, a Jerome County inmate has filed a lawsuit against the Jerome County Jail, alleging the jail does not provide sufficient nutrition to its inmates. Although jails are largely self-policed when it comes to rationing, authorities believe they should serve adequate portions for inmates. “I’m certainly not saying jails serve gourmet meals,” Idaho Sheriffs Association Executive Director Vaughn Killeen said. “They should have reasonable accommodations, reasonable food.” Killeen isn’t aware of any major riots or court cases surrounding food service in Idaho jails. But that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Idaho, like some other states, does not have state-mandated
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See more online in the video “What’s cooking in Magic Valley jails?” at Magicvalley.com
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
Fresh popcorn is displayed April 17 in the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center kitchen in Burley. Inmates are allowed to purchase popcorn, pizza, candy and soda on Fridays from the snack cart.
Idaho Jail Standards have been around for so long, courts tend to defer to them, Killeen said. “Most of the stuff we have in terms of standards has been designed on best practices and on court decisions,” he said. Counties are motivated to follow the standards because if they don’t, they could lose certification from the Idaho Sheriffs Association. That certification is used by the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program, and lack of certification could affect a jail’s insurance premium or benefits. “We want to make sure our counties are as risk-free as possible,” Killeen said. “There’s a strong incentive to make sure your jail facility is certified.” While the standards exist, it’s up to each jail to use them. According to Malm, the standards are completely voluntary in Idaho.
Counting calories
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
Chief Deputy Will Fruehling explains food protocols April 23 during a tour of the Blaine County Jail kitchen in Hailey. Next week: See Part 2 in next week’s Big Story on jail menus, an
expert nutritionist’s opinion, and a reporter’s firsthand experience sampling local jail food. procedures in place for jails, he said. The Idaho Sheriffs Association created its Idaho Jail Standards for Detention Facilities in 1978, in an attempt to standardize practices. These are the only standards in existence governing what jails should do with regard
to food service, and they are not enforced by a regulatory authority or governing body. The association’s food-service standards provide minimum requirements and recommendations for jails, intended to protect counties from lawsuits. Because
One 3-ounce beef patty, 3 ounces of gravy, a half-cup of seasoned pasta, a half-cup of pinto beans. Add some cornbread, glazed cake, margarine and sweet tea and it’s lunch at the Jerome County Jail. Jails are required to provide a “nutritionally balanced diet and a minimum of 2,500 calories daily,” according to the Idaho Jail Standards. Additional requirements state that two of the three meals each day have to be served hot, and meals must be served at approximately the same time every day. Additionally, menus must be reviewed annually by a dietitian or nutritionist. Please see COOKING, Page E2
MORE INSIDE: Taxpayers are footing the bill for inmate food, E3 | How does a jail become certified? E4
THE BIG STORY
E2 | Sunday, June 2, 2019
Times-News
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
Lt. Dan Renz reviews food options April 17 during a tour of the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center kitchen in Burley.
Cooking From E1
Some authorities say that when it comes to jail menus, the standards are rather streamlined. “I would like to see those meals as best as they can be under those constraints,” Cassia County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Dan Renz said. Summit Food Service reported that it follows the Idaho Jail Standards and recommended daily allowances suggested by the National Institute of Health to build its jail menus. Those recommendations specify the average daily intake needed for certain vitamins and nutrients to meet the nutritional requirements of 97-98% of all healthy people. “Summit uses a program that calculates the nutritional content of the menus,” spokeswoman Debbie Albert said in an April 11 email to the Times-News. But the company refused to provide those menus to the newspaper when requested, stating the information was proprietary. Still, the Times-News was able to obtain several Summit menus through public records requests. One jail, however, initially denied the request, saying menus were protected as a “trade secret.” Both Blaine and Cassia counties also told reporters they were not the custodians of those records. Malm, who is not a public employee, said she’s never had trouble obtaining menus during her inspections. “I think it’s crazy that it’s such a big secret,” she said. Idaho Jail Standards recommend that jails keep menus around for at least two years and have them available for review at least one week in advance. If necessary, a jail may change what’s served that day as long as it is an equivalent exchange, Malm said. “They can’t replace green beans, with say, cake,” she said. Summit says its own dietitians review the menus to ensure they include “nutritious, wholesome and palatable meals” per the company’s agreement with each county. And the dietitians are required to be actively licensed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration, Albert said. Each county that contracts with Summit has the ability to set its own calorie requirements. In the Magic Valley, those vary from the minimum 2,500 calories per day, up to 2,800 calories per day (the count set in Twin Falls and Blaine county jails). Gooding County Jail is the only Magic Valley jail that does not contract with Summit Food Service. At the Gooding facility, longtime cook Donna Beverly creates the menu and delivers it to a dietitian at the North Canyon Medical Center for approval each year. While the county doesn’t have a strict calorie goal, the dietitian ensures all meals meet the 2,500 calories per day requirement, Gooding County Sheriff’s Lt. Andy Hoffman said.
Get it while it’s hot
At 11 a.m. on April 11, the smell of homemade chicken taquitos permeated the air in the Gooding County Jail. Also on the lunch
DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS
Gooding County Sheriff Shaun Gough discusses the food budget April 11 at his office near the Gooding County Jail. menu that day were Mexican corn, Mexican rice, cookies and fresh fruit, Beverly said. A single inmate worker stood off to one side, waiting to complete final meal preparations before sending the trays out on carts with deputies. The jail takes great pride in its menu, going above the minimum Idaho Jail Standards by offering three hot meals per day on weekdays, staff said. Beverly prepares most dinners in advance and freezes them because she doesn’t work evenings. She wants inmates to feel like they’re eating well and getting a home-cooked meal. “I feel that everybody gets good nutrition and they get food that they like,” she said. On Fridays, inmates can expect to dine on cheeseburgers, french fries and ice cream cups. A Gooding County Jail menu obtained by the Times-News reflects that. The fruits of Beverly’s efforts are evident in the cooperation Gooding County has from inmates. “We don’t have fights,” Beverly said. “We don’t have people who are always hungry or complaining.” Some inmates have even told jail staff that if they had to get arrested, they’d prefer it to be in Gooding County because of the jail’s delectable food. “It stops a lot of problems for us,” Gooding County Sheriff Shaun Gough said. “It helps because they know they’re going to get a good meal.” With few complaints, Gooding County Jail is more relaxed in its meal preparations and how its trays are loaded. Other south-central Idaho jails, however, are more particular in how each tray looks. Most jails in Idaho take care to ensure meals are
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
A sign hangs from the freezer April 18 at the Jerome County Detention Center kitchen in Jerome. consistent from tray to tray and that they meet minimum calorie counts, Malm said. At Twin Falls County Jail, deputies inspect trays before handing them to inmates because they know the risks if they don’t. “That can cause a huge rift with inmates if you don’t get the tray right,” Capt. Doug Hughes said during an April 4 tour. “Even the slightest difference between one tray and the next can be problematic. If it doesn’t look like his buddy’s tray, then you’ve got a problem.” Jails typically have grievance processes in place for inmates. In Twin Falls’ case, deputies will take a tray back to the kitchen if it doesn’t look right. The jail also freezes one tray from every meal, storing it for a week in case there is a complaint. At the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center, it’s a similar system, where a so-called “Elvis tray” — a tray for nobody — is retained for three days.
This process is an effort to avoid unfounded complaints. “An inmate can grieve anything,” Renz said. A single staff member is in charge of reviewing grievances, so that person can identify patterns if something repeatedly comes up, he said. At all five jails, deputies frequently eat the meals as well; some jails actually encourage staff to take trays straight off the cook line to ensure quality. In Blaine County, however, deputies’ meals are packed and delivered separately. Jails are required to balance taxpayer dollars with inmate needs while planning and preparing meals. Most say that with a 2,500 calorie-per-day diet, it doesn’t take long for inmates — or deputies — to put on a few pounds. Historically, public perception has held the opinion that inmates shouldn’t get good meals, to emphasize their punishment. Jails of the past were run simply with
“bread and water, brick and bars,” Killeen said. But that’s changed. “All of a sudden, people woke up and had this epiphany that inmates also have rights,” Killeen said. Today, jails strive to ensure inmates are receiving meals that are no better or worse than what the common citizen eats. Officers try to treat inmates with respect, and it’s reciprocated, Killeen said. The Gooding County sheriff is one of the authorities who realize inmates deserve good nutrition. “I don’t care how bad they are,” Gough said. “They’re still human beings and they have rights.”
Hold the pork
Rights include accommodating religious beliefs and some other dietary restrictions. One thing you won’t see on the menu in most south-central Idaho jails: pork. Instead, Summit Food menus obtained by the TimesNews list items such as turkey sausage, turkey bologna and turkey ham. The Blaine County Detention Center does not serve real pork except on Easter, Jail Commander Capt. Jay Davis said. Foregoing pork helps jails more easily accommodate common religious exemptions. Idaho Jail Standards state that each jail needs to have a policy regarding special diets for religious beliefs and for diets prescribed by a physician. Accommodations are determined early in the booking process. Jail inmates must undergo a medical assessment within 14 days of their arrival. Even before that, an intake process occurs upon booking. Please see COOKING, Page E3
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THE BIG STORY
Times-News
Sunday, June 2, 2019 | E3
Where’s the beef? Some jails hesitant to hand over menus HEATHER KENNISON
hkennison@magicvalley.com
TWIN FALLS — Want to know what’s cooking in Magic Valley jails? In Mini-Cassia, at least, you’ll need to get arrested to know for sure. The Times-News took a deep dive into jail kitchens to learn more about the rules, the processes and the research that goes into creating menus. While all jails allowed reporters at least some access their kitchens, some were more transparent and less restrictive than others. And one jail outright denied a reporter’s request to see what it had on the menu in early April, finally handing over a “generic menu” after the newspaper filed a second public records request. Of the five south-central Idaho jails, only one — Gooding County — provides its own food services. The remaining four jails — Blaine, Jerome, Mini-Cassia and Twin Falls — contract with Summit Food Service. The Times-News filed public records requests with all five jails to learn what food they were serving inmates in early April. While Gooding County initially hesitated to provide a menu during a jail tour, the county was forthcoming with information following the records request. Twin Falls County also granted the newspaper’s request with no concerns. The Blaine County Detention
Center, however, initially rejected the request, stating it was not the custodian of those menus. Rather, staff said, the Times-News would need to contact Summit Food Service directly. The company had already denied a reporter copies of those menus, saying the information was proprietary — despite the fact sheriff’s offices and even inmates at some jails had access to the information. The Times-News questioned why certain civilians had more access to those records than others, and why a person should have to get arrested to find out what food gets served. In collaboration with the Idaho Press Club, newspaper staff reached out to the Idaho Sheriffs Association to sort the matter. Association representatives said they could not understand why the request was denied. The takeaway: Although taxpayers foot the bill for jail food, acquiring a menu to learn what that money pays for can be a struggle because a national food service contractor tries to keep its menus under lock and key.
Where’s the beef?
Later that day, Blaine County sent another response to the Times-News‘ public records request, stating the sheriff’s office was under the impression Summit Food would provide the information and “in the spirit of cooperation and transparency we have elected to release the document as you requested.” The Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center, meanwhile, had also
denied a request for its March 31-April 6 menu. After consulting with an attorney, Cassia County Lt. Dan Renz cited Idaho Statutes Section 48-801, which exempts certain “trade secrets” from public release. Cassia County Undersheriff George Warrell said the county did not have menus for specific dates, and that information would have to come from Summit Food Service. The Times-News filed a second public records request and was finally able to obtain a generic menu from Cassia County in late May. The Jerome County Jail, although late in responding to its public records request, eventually sent over a menu without issue. Access to menus was just one of multiple challenges the newspaper faced in its investigation. Summit Food Service employees refused to answer media questions over the phone or in person, instead opting to speak only via email through a third-party spokeswoman. Despite multiple phone calls for more information, Jerome County Jail Lt. Marisela Ibarra did not grant the TimesNews an interview. She also failed to show up at a scheduled jail tour. Finally, none of the jails allowed reporters to speak with or photograph inmates. Three of the jails also refused to let reporters visit while the kitchen was open. And while the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office initially said reporters could photograph inmate workers without showing their faces, upon arrival, the chief deputy informed the
DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS
A list of meals for the week is seen during a jail tour April 3 at the Twin Falls County Jail. newspaper that kitchen workers could not be photographed at all. A Times-News photographer was permitted to photograph sheriff’s office employees but was denied names for identification. As the Times-News ultimately learned, there seems to be a lack of
standardization among jails with regards to public records access, food safety procedures and dietary standards. So what is taxpayer money paying for, exactly? Check out the rest of today’s Big Story package — and Part Two next week — to find out.
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
Cake sits cooked and ready to serve April 23 at the Blaine County Jail kitchen in Hailey.
Cooking From E2
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At the Twin Falls County Jail, deputies pose five pages of medical questions to arrestees as part of that process, Kimball said during a jail tour. The intake questionnaire helps jail staff discern whether a person has any special dietary needs or allergies. Inmates can also request specialty diets based on religious preferences. But not all jails accommodate for “lifestyle” diets — those not necessarily connected to a religious base — including veganism, vegetarianism or weight-loss diets. Gooding County is especially flexible with special requests, perhaps, because of its smaller population of inmates (21 on an average day). Other jails decide on a caseby-case basis. In Blaine County, for example, lifestyle diets can be requested, but, typically, only the “ovo-lacto-vegetarian” diet — which excludes meat but includes dairy and eggs — is available to inmates. If an inmate chooses to go off that diet, they can’t go back on it again, Davis said.
huge — stacking up to 2,800 to 3,000 calories each, he said.
Jail costs by the numbers Food budget
Average jail population
Total operating budget
Gooding County Jail $70K $709,000
21
Twin Falls County Jail
$380K
Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center
$236,900
$3.3 million
$188,700
$3.2 million
Blaine County Detention Center Jerome County Jail
$200K
$1.6 million
Source: County sheriff’s offices
After an inmate receives a medical examination, Summit Food Service will build a therapeutic diet menu based on a medical diet order, Albert said. The company recommends using the medical nutrition therapy guidelines outlined by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics or by another disease-specific governing body such as the American Diabetes Association. Special diets for pregnant women in their second or third trimester are also available. Judging by an early April menu for the Twin Falls County Jail, this diet includes more fruit and milk. The jail also offers special diets
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with more nutritional support to promote heart health (low fat, low cholesterol and low salt), to increase fiber or to forego concentrated sweets. A diet with chopped or shredded food is an option for people with chewing problems. Some see jail menus as superior to those in the outside world. “A lot of people don’t eat very well when they’re not in (jail),” Hughes said. “They’re actually healthier when they leave than when they come in.” Of course, that’s not always the case. Inmates usually have the option to buy less healthy items from the jail commissary. “Everyone loves ramen noo-
dles,” Kimball said. Ramen is also a popular item in the Blaine County Detention Center commissary, Davis said. And at the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center, inmates can purchase popcorn every Friday. On April 12, the jail sold 160 popcorn bags; its daily population averages about 150. Aside from commissary, the 2,800 calories per day served at Twin Falls County Jail may be excessive for some inmates. But even that pales in comparison to the caloric count of meals before the jail began contracting with Summit Food Service in 2004, Hughes said. Those meals were
Contracting out for sustenance Four Magic Valley jails have gradually outsourced their food services, first contracting with Summit Food’s predecessor, ABL Management. Jerome County transitioned in 2016, Blaine County in 2008, Twin Falls County in 2004 and Mini-Cassia in 2010. “Since we were getting larger and housing more inmates, it only made sense for us to go with a vendor,” Davis said of the new Blaine County jail. For a while, there was a significant trend to privatize jail food services across the country, Killeen said. He believes that has mostly stabilized now. Some jails have even taken food service back into their own hands. Gooding County used to contract with the local hospital for its meals. But in 1999, the county purchased an old school building that had a kitchen and hired Beverly to control its cuisine. Please see COOKING, Page E4
THE BIG STORY
E4 | Sunday, June 2, 2019
IDAHO JAIL STANDARDS
Times-News
How does a jail become certified? HEATHER KENNISON
hkennison@magicvalley.com
TWIN FALLS — The Idaho Sheriffs Association’s certificate of compliance is completely voluntary — but all 36 of Idaho’s county jails submit to an annual inspection to receive it. Cindy Malm, jail standard coordinator and inspector, visits jails each year to ensure they meet the minimum standards required for certification. But since personally inspecting everything each year would be tedious, Malm relies on jails to first fill out a checklist for re-certification. The checklist contains all 327 standards provided in the association’s Idaho Jail Standards for Detention Facilities, Malm said. Some of those standards are PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS mandatory, while others are recommended. Jails can miss up to 13 Staff Sgt. Troy Tolman talks about how food is prepared April 18 during a tour of the Jerome County Detention recommended standards and still Center kitchen in Jerome.
pass the test for a certificate of compliance, she said. If a jail fails a mandatory standard on the 14page checklist, it receives a time frame in which to comply. Malm performs an in-person inspection and requests specific documents for a certain number of standards each year. Those are randomly selected but are consistent each year for every jail. But the jail inspector doesn’t have the final say on certification. Malm can only make a recommendation to the Idaho Sheriffs Association Jail Standards Committee, which votes to accept or reject her recommendation. While certification isn’t strict, the counties’ risk management fund assesses seven standards in particular when determining a jail’s benefits, she said. That’s one incentive for jails to receive the certificate of compliance.
DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS
Cook Donna Beverly stores food in the freezer April 11 at the Gooding County Jail.
DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS
Fresh cookies served to the inmates April 11 at the Gooding County Jail.
Cooking From E3
Gooding County Jail staff say food service companies have contacted them before seeking a contract, but Beverly “ran them out.” She fears Gooding County would have more complaints from inmates if it reverted to contracting out for its food services. Gough and Hoffman wholeheartedly agree. “She actually keeps our prisoners happy,” Gough said. When Twin Falls County Jail first made the switch to outsource its food services, there was a rush of complaints from inmates. “They obviously wanted their 2,800 calories per meal back,” Hughes said. But since that initial transition, things have run more smoothly. Summit Food Service takes the pressure off jail staff and makes it easier for the jail to find a dietitian to review menus, he said.
Serving it up
Whether they use a food service contractor or not, south-central Idaho jails share some common practices. One is the reliance on inmate workers to help kitchen staff prepare and clean up after meals. Workers are typically detainees facing misdemeanor charges, and they are often offered incentives to help out. In Twin Falls and Jerome counties, kitchen work can reduce their sentences. And at the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center, inmate workers are paid $75 per month, Renz said. In Blaine County, inmate workers receive commissary and special visitation benefits. Summit Food supervisors coach inmates on safety, sanitation and meal preparation, Albert said. Inmates are always supervised; audio or video camera records all events in the kitchens in case of a problem. Only one inmate assists Beverly in the Gooding County Jail kitchen. But she’s gotten to know many others over the years.
“More than anything, I’ve learned to be a teacher,” she said. “A lot of them have come back to say thank you.”
A lot of mouths to feed
Inmate workers and cooks are tasked with getting meals out quickly. Deputies transport the food trays on insulated carts to each holding area, aiming to make sure food arrives hot. That can be especially difficult for the Twin Falls County Jail, which had 234 inmates in custody on April 4. The jail — and kitchen — was originally designed for 147 inmates, and population can spike or plummet by 20 people — which translates to 60 meals — on any given day, Kimball said. Kitchen space and storage are limited. The jail occasionally runs out of milk in the mornings and then offers inmates powdered milk with their cereal, he said. That doesn’t go over well. Twin Falls County’s contract with Summit Food Service has a set price of $1.47 per meal. Other jails, however, are charged a sliding fee based on the number of meals served. Food service accounts for about 6-10% of each county’s overall operating budget. If actual populations are underestimated, jails have to turn to county commissioners for additional funds. “We try to get as close as we possibly can,” Gough said. “If we run over, there’s nothing we can do about it. You’ve got to feed them.” Jail food is paid for out of each county’s general budget, which originates from various taxpayer sources. Nationwide, jails are bursting at the seams, but, locally, jail populations vary. Jerome County’s population averages 110 inmates, but most of those fill beds contracted with other entities, Staff Sgt. Troy Tolman said April 18 during a kitchen tour. Only about 50 are Jerome County inmates. Jerome’s jail has more room than it once did when it was limited to 34 beds in its old facility. It now has room to add up to 200
PAT SUTPHIN, TIMES-NEWS
Capt. Jay Davis talks about how food is prepared April 23 during a tour of the Blaine County Jail kitchen in Hailey. “Fifteen years ago, we couldn’t find a prisoner,” Gough said. Gooding County once had an annex for another 30 prisoners but closed it. “I just feel so bored.” Blaine County Detention CenHeather Kennison made the mistake of saying something along those ter, meanwhile, manages its daily lines to Enterprise Editor Jessica Flammang several weeks back. She had population so it still has ample been making plans to room in its 90-bed jail. And the move to Boise ahead Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice of her upcoming Center’s population has gone wedding. Knowing down in recent years but is close to that her time at the maximum capacity, Undersheriff Times-News was exGeorge Warrell said. piring, Kennison had Summit Food Service says its the reporter’s version meal costs are driven primarily of senioritis. Nothing by menu specifications and calseemed to keep her orie count. If food costs on the interest for long. company’s end are exceeded, Flammang leapt Summit verifies all data related at the chance to dish to the menu, recipes and supply. out another assignThe company also conducts a site ment: Read through survey through the correctional these letters from an DREW NASH, TIMES-NEWS FILE culinary department, Albert said. inmate about jail nuTimes-News reporter Heather Kennison listens Generally, jail food costs are trition concerns and to a source during an interview in March 2017 reflective of the population, plus report back. But the in Jerome County. a 3% annual cost-of-living inproject led Kennison crease. down a rabbit hole in Regardless of those costs, counwhich she had to abandon another Big Story idea she’d been plotting ties still have to meet the needs in order to forge ahead. of jail inmates. And many will After filing nearly a dozen public records requests and jumping choose to continue to surpass the through multiple bureaucratic hoops, Kennison realized this story would minimum standards, whether it’s be a fitting conclusion — a “magnum opus,” so to speak — to her threeto cover their backs legally or for year stint at the Times-News. simpler reasons. Holding governments accountable is a key role of journalists, and As jails across the country conKennison is pleased to offer this one last piece to readers as she departs tinue to deal with food riots or nufor her next adventure. trition-related lawsuits, counties realize that satiated inmates mean beds. stant but occasionally gets over- fewer problems. In Gooding County, the jail crowded. That wasn’t always the “It creates more tension when population remains fairly con- case. inmates are upset,” Renz said.
The inside scoop: Don’t say you are bored at work
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