Oregon prison food rated OK
Thursday, June 14, 2007 2:31 PM PDT
SALEM (AP) — Oregon’s 13,000 prison inmates are served ‘‘acceptable’’ food, according to a report released this week.
Max Williams, director of Oregon Department of Corrections, promised to look into the quality and handling of prison food after federal agents in January revealed their criminal investigation of Fred Monem, who was the state’s food buyer at the time.
The outside review team appointed by Williams gave the food a passing grade, though not a glowing review: ‘‘Inmates are provided with nutritionally adequate meals that are prepared and served in a manner that meets established governmental health and safety codes,’’ the report said.
The reviewers, however, did make some recommendations, including regular inspections, a food-borne illness prevention program, and increased consistency of menus and recipes. During his time with the state, Monem won praise for using special procurement rules to aggressively pursue distressed and bulk foods on the spot market. The savings have helped Oregon regularly rank among the lowest in the nation for per-inmate food costs.
But several businessmen pleaded guilty in federal court this year on accusations that they bribed Monem into taking food they had trouble selling elsewhere — food that was close to its pull date.
Monem has yet to be charged, but the food brokers are cooperating with investigators. Monem was placed on leave from his $75,000 a year job when federal investigators showed up at his state office and his Salem home with search warrants. Agents reported recovering more than $530,000 in cash, and Monem was fired in February.
Monem had been the target of inmate complaints well before the investigation. The Oregon Department of Corrections surveyed the state’s prison inmates about the food in 2005, after food overtook health care as the issue generating the most gripes.
