Jail reform activists Wednesday issued a report condemning the meals served in Orange County’s jails, but sheriff’s officials said the food served complies with regulatory guidelines.
The 26-page report was issued by Transforming Justice Orange County and the Stop the Musick Coalition and included comments from former and current inmates on the fare they’re served behind bars.
At issue are the bagged meals that jail officials have relied on during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hot-meal programs have been curtailed because of fears that inmates working in the kitchens will accelerate the spread of the virus, officials have said.
“For almost two years, people incarcerated in Orange County jails have been eating three bagged, cold, spoiled meals every day,” the report said. “These meals contain slices of bread and bologna, sometimes accompanied by a small portion of carrots or an apple, and people report that the sandwiches are frequently served rotten or moldy.
“The meals are also extremely high in sodium and cholesterol, and people report experiencing illness and hunger. Since spring 2020, many of those who could afford it have relied on food for purchase at the commissary to supplement the cold meals.”
The report claimed that the jail food “has never been healthy, but before COVID, the jails served two hot meals a day.”
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department issued this statement in response:
“The Orange County Sheriff’s Department follows Board of State and Community Corrections requirements regarding meals for those in our care and custody, and we are currently in compliance with the BSCC meal guidelines. OCSD has not suspended and continues to provide medical and religious diets during the pandemic.
“We are reviewing the report from the `Stop the Musick’ coalition, a group with the stated goal of `work[ing] toward a world without incarceration.’ We dispute their allegations that OCSD is serving spoiled or nutritionally deficient food to incarcerated persons.”