Free Florida taxpayers; end prison-food contract
Source: Palm Beach Post Editorial, Monday, May 19, 2008
After nearly $1 million in fines for contract violations, among them having too little food and too few staff, why is Florida still contracting with Philadelphia-based Aramark Correctional Services to feed state prisoners?
The state pays Aramark $71 million per year to feed most of the state's 92,000 inmates. But since 2001, Aramark has been fined more than $864,000 - nearly $250,000 this year. When is enough enough?
..... The audit also found that Aramark repeatedly changed the menu, substituting less expensive meats (ground turkey instead of beef, for example; "turkey ends and pieces" instead of turkey breasts), but didn't pass on the savings to the state. In other words, Aramark was getting paid more for less.