Saginaw Correctional Facility

Aerial view of the Saginaw Correctional Facility, 9625 Pierce in Freeland.

(File | MLive.com)

TITTABAWASSEE TOWNSHIP, MI -- The Michigan Department of Corrections is confirming a report that its food-service provider, Aramark, served some food that had been thrown in the trash to prisoners housed in Saginaw County.

The incident occurred in October 2014 at the Saginaw Correctional Facility, 9625 Pierce in Tittabawassee Township. Chris Gautz, public information officer for MDOC, said Aramark fired the worker involved.

"I think they were meatballs or some sort of meat products," Gautz said Monday, March 30. "Obviously it shouldn't have happened. It's a health-code violation."

The liberal advocacy group Progress Michigan on Monday distributed emails it obtained through the Freedom of Information Act that appear to show correspondence between the MDOC and Aramark Correctional Services regarding Saginaw County prisoners being fed food that had come from the trash.

According to emails, on October 29, an Aramark employee at the Saginaw Correctional Facility discarded left-over food before the last half of a unit housed in the facility entered the chow hall.

Gautz said the food was thrown into a box that was lined with a clear trash liner.

After realizing there were more inmates to feed, the employee retrieved and rinsed the food, reheated it in an oven and instructed other inmates to serve it to them, according to the emails. The inmates refused and the employee and another Aramark employee served the food to the remaining inmates, the emails state.

Progress Michigan Executive Director Lonnie Scott commented on the incident in a press release.

"The fact that inmates refused to serve this food, and yet an Aramark employee felt comfortable doing so, speaks volumes about the company's corporate culture," Scott said. "This contract has jeopardized the safety of prison staff, corrections officers and prisoners and Gov. Snyder needs to cancel the contract immediately."

Aramark has a three-year contract with the state.

Earlier this month, Aramark came under fire for allegations that it had served rodent-eaten food to inmates in July of last year.

Between February and March of last year, the company was fined nearly $100,000 by the MDOC for contract violations including 12 incidents where employees had improper contact with inmates. The fines were subsequently canceled.

In August, the state of Michigan fined the company $200,000 for problems with prison food service.

John Hanner, president of Aramark Correctional Services, said in August 2014 that the company acknowledged its performance wasn't perfect and that it was committed to improve.

Aramark could not be reached immediately for comment on Monday.

Read the Saginaw Correctional Facility email exchange here.

Bob Johnson is a reporter for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-395-3295, by email at

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