Vernon County Jail's new 'Dietary Services'

This past week has been a busy week at the Sheriff's Office! Besides the "normal" day-to-day activity by deputies, jail staff, investigators, and administrators, we have taken back the operation of the kitchen that cooks the nearly 300 meals per day for inmates in our jail. Since I started in the office, the kitchen has been contracted through a company that provides employees to cook food in the jail. Although the food was cooked in the kitchen, the employees did not work for us, and any changes had to be requested through the company before they could be made. The idea of contracting a professional food provider to take on the task of cooking in a jail came with the benefits of not having to worry about getting the right amount of food ordered, making sure there was staff to cook it, and making sure that all meals served met certain calorie requirements that were certified by a dietitian. Is it easier? Yes it is, but I believe a good deal of county money can be saved by ordering the food ourselves, paying the employees ourselves, and cooking the food ourselves. Because we have been under a contract we have had to wait until the contract expired. That time has come and this week our kitchen was ran by Vernon County employees!

The food provider's contract ended on the last day of May, and on June 1, the new department within the Sheriff's Office was started. This new department is called "Dietary Services" and will consist of a food director, assistant director, and three part-time cooks. With the daily population fluctuating from 80 to 100 inmates, the new department will be cooking 240-300 meals per day. When putting the menu together for the jail, we wanted something that would be healthy, filling, and have adequate calories, but also simple. A commercial bread slicer was ordered so that bread for sandwiches can be made in the kitchen from scratch to save on money. In fact, nearly all the items that will be cooked in the kitchen will be made from scratch. Besides cooking the regular meals each day, the staff has also undergone training on preparing meals coordinated through the medical staff in the jail for those who may be diabetic, allergic to certain foods, or on a restricted diet for medical reasons. The kitchen staff will also be trained in basic jail procedures so they can also serve the food trays to each area of the jail instead of depending on the regular jail staff to perform this task. Just this extra task being taken on by kitchen staff will help the rest of the jail's staff a great deal.

This is another big change for the Sheriff's Office, but one I hope that will prove to be just as cost saving, efficient, and successful!