The new Garland County jail's contract for food and commissary services equips security staff with incentives to reward compliant inmates.
A takeout menu is among the inducements provided by Trinity Services Group of Tampa, Fla., said Chief Deputy of Corrections Mark Chamberlain, the facility's lead administrator. Behavior that deputies deem exemplary can result in the unit ordering from a bill of fare that includes Angus cheeseburgers, chicken wings and pizza.
"It's based on the behavior for the inmates that week," Chamberlain said. "If they're the cleanest, quietest unit for the week, and if they have funds and deputies approve it, they can order off the takeout menu."
Chamberlain said it's a "behavior-modification tool," joining a list of privileges jailers can dangle to facilitate compliance.
"It's something you allow them to have, and if they don't act right, you can take it away from them," he said.
Chamberlain stressed that the takeout menu and items inmates can order from the commissary's electronic catalog aren't taxpayer-funded indulgences. Inmates make purchases with money deposited into their commissary accounts.
"We're not giving it to them," he said. "Their families are paying for them themselves."
A portion of the markup on commissary items flows to an account that can pay to replace TVs in housing units and buy recreational equipment. The jail retains 42 percent of commissary commissions, Chamberlain said, up from 23 percent under the contract at the current jail adjacent to the Garland County sheriff's office.
The balance is remitted to Trinity under its commission-based contract.
"We can use it to purchase things, like if a TV gets broken," Chamberlain said. "All recreation equipment will come out of the commissary fund. We're not burdening taxpayers by providing these things to the inmates. It's primarily done through the commissary unit."
Housing units will have kiosks for inmates to place orders and track fund balances. Trinity prepackages the purchases and delivers them on secure trucks. The third-party ordering feature gives families purchasing control, allowing them to order items inmates may not be inclined to buy.
"It's helpful, because a lot of inmates will spend all their money on junk food," Chamberlain said. "Families wanted them to buy underwear and a sweatshirt, and he bought $15 worth of Honey Buns. Now families have more control over that."
In keeping with incentivizing compliance, commissary ordering will be prohibited in the jail's two disciplinary confinement units -- the A pod for women and the C pod for men.
The per diem contract charges $1.12 per meal. Jail workers can pay $3 to order off an upgraded menu.
Metro on 06/15/2015