E-mails: Aramark fed inmates cake chewed by rodents

LANSING — An Aramark Correctional Services worker was disciplined last year after inmates were fed cake that rodents had been chewing on, according to e-mails released today by the liberal group Progress Michigan.

The July 2014 incident took place while Aramark, a Philadelphia-based prison food contractor serving the Michigan Department of Corrections, was under intense scrutiny as a result of a series of articles in the Free Press documenting sanitation issues, smuggling of drugs and other contraband by Aramark workers, and incidents of sex acts between Aramark workers and inmates.

The e-mails, which Progress Michigan obtained under Michigan's Freedom of Information Act, show an exchange between prison officials about an incident at Central Michigan Correctional Facility in St. Louis in which an inmate kitchen worker "reported to custody staff that he was ordered to serve cake that had evidence of rodents eaten from it."

"The Aramark employee allegedly ordered him to cut the sides off the cake ... and serve it to the population," Corrections Department official Dawn Livermore said in one of the e-mails. "I'm heading into work now to assess the mood of the population and address any situation concerns."

"Unbelievable!" Warden Jeffrey Larson replied when told of the incident. "Thanks for handling the situation."

According to the e-mails and to Corrections Department spokesman Chris Gautz, an Aramark employee who told the inmate to serve the cake but "put frosting on it," was sent home and fired over the incident, and a pest control firm was sent to the kitchen.

Gautz said the cake was served, but he's not aware of any illnesses that resulted.

Karen Cutler, an Aramark spokeswoman, said she was "not going to comment on an allegation from eight months ago that is one of hundreds of allegations made by special-interest groups against our company and our hardworking employees in Michigan."

Cutler said "food safety is a top priority that we take very seriously," and "our processes and procedures are industry leading, and if issues are raised, we fix them quickly."

Lonnie Scott, director of Progress Michigan, said the administration of Gov. Rick Snyder should "use this opportunity to come clean about all the problems that they know of related to Aramark because the public has a right to know."

Aramark began its three-year, $145-million contract in December 2013, eliminating about 370 state jobs. The state has fined the company $200,000 for contract violations and more than 100 workers have been fired for various infractions and banned from prison property amid concerns about prison security. But complaints about the contractor have eased in recent months.

"We took this very seriously," Gautz said. "We wanted to make sure nothing like this will ever happen again."

Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com