The year’s annual Monroe County holiday luncheon plans have received some backlash from county employees.

After online invitations went out to county workers informing them that inmates at the Monroe County Jail would be preparing the meal, the Monroe County Board of Commissioners received an onslaught of concerns ranging from food safety issues to worries over unfair labor practices.

In the past the county has used restaurants to cater the event, but officials were looking for a cost-effective alternative.

Monroe County Sheriff Brad Swain says he's surprised by the outcry but that it's not uncommon to get criticism.

“Monroe County has 150,000 people here, and each one of them has their own viewpoint and opinion on things," he says.

The jail's kitchen workers have contributed their services to the community in the past, such as preparing food for the Kiwanis Chili for Children.

Swain says he is proud of the work the inmates do in the kitchen.

“I think we run a very good kitchen and it’s unfortunate that people don’t realize that," he says.

The county commissioners are now looking into a legal way to compensate the inmates or opting for a potluck style pitch-in instead.