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State Renews Contract With Troubled Prison Food Service Provider

Public records show the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections agreed to renew a two-year contract with the troubled food-service contractor, Aramark Correctional Services, on October 30th. The department did not publicize the contract's renewal. The Ohio Department of Administrative Services is handling the 110 million dollar contract. Aramark began feeding prison inmates in September 2013. Since then, problems with maggots in kitchens and unserved food, staffing and food shortages, and inappropriate employee conduct with inmates have been reported at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville and other prisons. The state fined the company over 270 thousand dollars last year, but says Aramark has improved its operations since inmate protests and reports of problems generated headlines last summer. ODRC says the deal cannot formally be renewed until after April 1. The Ohio Civil Service Employees Association is exercising a clause in its contract to return union employees to prison kitchens.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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