TEXARKANA — The Miller County sheriff’s office will start providing meals to prisoners instead of using a food service company and expects to save the department $30,000 annually.
The Miller County Quorum Court approved a plan Monday night allowing the sheriff’s office to assume the duties of supplying food to prisoners and meeting state and federal guidelines under which prisoners receive a daily diet of 1,800 calories.
Also, the sheriff’s office will buy food directly from Sysco, a food wholesaler, which will provide access to a dietitian for meal planning so prisoners will receive the required caloric intake.
The justices of the peace voted unanimously for the sheriff’s office to provide the food.
The current contractor is Tiger Correctional Services in Jonesboro. Aramark was the previous contractor. The jail’s food services were operated by three company employees.
Justice of the Peace Ernest Pender, chairman of the correctional committee, said the sheriff’s office also would operate the food program with three employees.
Tiger has an at-will contract with the county allowing either party to stop doing business with the other at any time.
Pender said the companies were having difficulty keeping employees.
The ordinance approved by the justices of the peace allows for $75,000 for jail salaries annually to operate the food service. Withholdings for Social Security and retirement would amount to $32,443.50 a year for the three employees.
Arkansas, Pages 13 on 11/23/2012