Board discusses prison guards’ meals
Members of the Fayette County Prison Board on Wednesday discussed what to do about the practice of corrections officers having meals at the prison — and the county paying for it.
Warden Brian Miller said it’s been a common practice for five to eight years in the prison for the guards to have one meal each shift. But when board chairman Sheriff Gary D. Brownfield found out that was occurring earlier this month, he called the prison in his capacity as board chairman and halted the practice.
“They’re some of the highest-paid employees in the county. I’m sure all county employees would like to have a paid lunch,” Brownfield said.
Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink, a member of the board since 2004, and Brownfield, a board member since 2000, said they could never recall the board agreeing to have the guards eat on the county taxpayers’ dime.
Brownfield said that he does not believe that the contract the guards have with the county provides for that.
Miller said a representative of the company, Canteen Group, said that the majority of the counties they provide food services for allow guards to have one meal that the county pays for. Only one county requires the guards to pay for the meal, Miller said.
Meals for the guards in Fayette County are $1.60 each, and there are 11 guards each on two shifts and nine guards on the third shift. However, the county was only being billed for 126 guard meals weekly.
Miller said guards get two 15-minute breaks, and cannot leave the prison to eat. Additionally, if they chose to bring a lunch, it has to be in a clear container and is subject to being searched.
Miller said that bringing lunches in presents an additional risk that contraband will be brought into the prison.
“If I brought a sandwich in and you searched it, you probably wouldn’t eat it,” Miller said.
“If you don’t want to have a ham sandwich searched, don’t bring a ham sandwich,” Zimmerlink said.
Ultimately, the board opted to take no action on the matter until its meeting Tuesday, leaving guards to pack a lunch if they want to eat during their shifts.
Miller recommended charging the guards the $1.60, but until board members could find out for sure if the contract permitted the free lunches, and could look at the contract with the food vendor, they put off making a decision.
“If we’re going to continue that practice in 2012, we’re going to have to set some kind of parameters,” Zimmerlink said.
Commissioner Vincent A. Vicites said the board should review the contract thoroughly before making a decision on what to do, or a grievance could be filed.
Zimmerlink noted that any guards who want to discuss the matter further are free to attend Tuesday’s meeting.