5-06-000 Inmate Meals

PURPOSE OF ORDER:

The purpose of this order is to establish procedures for preparing and serving inmate meals at Men’s Central Jail (MCJ) in accordance with the California Code of Regulations, Title 15 - Minimum Jail Standards.

SCOPE OF ORDER: 

This order shall apply to all personnel assigned to, and/or working at MCJ.

ORDER:

Inmate meals shall be provided under the immediate supervision of a staff member.

Food shall be served three (3) times in a twenty-four (24) hour period.  One of these meals shall include hot food.  If more than fourteen (14) hours pass between meals, supplemental food must be served.

Inmate workers assigned to handle food shall be medically screened prior to being assigned to a work crew.  Volunteer workers shall not be used to handle food.  Personnel and inmate workers handling food shall wear protective gloves.

Inmates are served meals in their cells and/or dorms.  The officers/deputies supervising the distribution of meals shall ensure meals are served at the proper temperature and are of normal portion size.  The officers/deputies supervising the distribution of meals shall walk the housing area rows with the inmate workers during the distribution of meals to ensure all inmates receive their proper meal.  Food shall not be withheld as a disciplinary measure.

If an inmate misses a regularly scheduled facility meal, they shall be provided with a substitute meal and beverage.  Inmates on medical or religious diets shall be provided with a full diet meal.

All meals shall be planned and prepared under the supervision and/or direction of the food manager.

In the event an inmate declares a hunger strike, the hunger strike shall be documented in the e-UDAL, and an immediate notification shall be made to the watch commander and Custody Health Services (CHS).  Procedures shall be followed according to CDM section 5-15/000.00, “Inmates Refusal to Eat and/or Drink.”

Special Diets

The dieticians (and their kitchen inmate workers) shall be responsible for the preparation, bagging, and bundling of all special diets for each of the floors.  The dieticians will not deliver special diets to the floors.

Floor personnel shall be responsible for picking up all special diets including medical and religious diets from the dieticians in the kitchen.  Floor personnel shall meet with the dietary staff to receive and sign for their respective floor’s special diets.  Floor personnel should also receive a spreadsheet menu notating each of the special diets they received for their floor.  This menu will state each item belonging in each special diet bag.

Custody personnel shall take the special diets and spreadsheet back to their assigned floor to deliver the special diets to the inmates.  At no time are inmates to be with the special diet meals/bags unsupervised.  If the floor is not ready to serve the special diets once the food is brought to their floor, the food shall be placed directly in front of the floor’s main control module to be supervised at all times by custody personnel.   Inmate workers shall not give special diet meals/bags to other inmates unless custody personnel are immediately present to ensure everything on the menu spreadsheet is contained in that particular meal/bag. 

Any inmate who did not receive their special diet shall be logged in to the floor module control booth electronic-Uniform Daily Activity Log (e-UDAL).  If an inmate is missing their special diet, custody personnel shall verify with the dieticians in the kitchen that a special diet was ordered for that inmate.  The findings shall be entered in the e-UDAL.  If an inmate does not receive a special diet meal/bag, they shall be served a normal meal.  If a special diet prescription expires, inmates will need to request to be put on doctor’s line to have these prescriptions renewed. 

Medical diets SUPERSEDE religious diets.  This means if an inmate is in need of a medical diet and a religious diet, they shall only receive the medical diet, not both. 

For any questions regarding special diets, contact the Food Services staff.

Revision Date 12/27/23

Revision Date 06/13/23

Revision Date 07/23/20

Revision Date 07/29/15

Revision Date 11/19/08