NCJ Number
242596
Date Published
July 2010
Length
16 pages
Annotation
These results and recommendations of the New York State Comptroller Office's audit of the Department of Correctional Services' Cook-Chill food program for correctional facilities are intended for use by local government officials in planning for food service in county correctional facilities.
Abstract
The audit found that New York State counties could cut costs by using the State Department of Corrections' Cook-Chill program to feed inmates instead of preparing meals in-house. Two of the four counties audited (Albany and Allegany) could have saved approximately $913,500 in 2009 had they fully participated in the Cook-Chill Program. Other New York counties that currently use an in-house food service operation could save over $11 million annually by switching to the Cook-Chill program. The Cook-Chill program could also reduce staffing needs and food preparation time. In addition, it facilitates preparing only the amount of food that is required for a facility's fluctuating inmate population. The Cook-Chill process cooks large quantities of food to a just-done state, rapidly chills the food, and then stores it under tightly controlled temperature conditions. The food is then shipped to correctional facilities, where it requires only reheating to be ready for serving. There is an average ordering-to-consumption time of approximately 3 weeks. Cold food items are packaged in individual serving containers. The audit reviewed all costs associated with the food service operation for the period January 1, 2008, through December 31, 2009. The audit also determined the operational impact of using Cook-Chill compared with the traditional process in four counties, which were selected based on the number of inmates and type of food service operation. The audit complied with generally accepted government auditing standards, which are appended. 2 tables