The head of the kitchen at the Georgetown Prison yesterday defended the quality of food served to inmates as “fairly satisfactory.”
With the food served at the prison being one of sources of complaints by inmates during recent protests, Prison Officer Gordon Daniels, who is responsible for the meals, was summoned to testify before the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the conditions at the institution, where 17 inmates died last month in a fire.
Taking the stand at the Department of Public Service building, Daniels, who is tasked with ensuring meals are delivered to the inmates in a timely manner, stated yesterday that meals at the prison are served between the hours of 7am and 4pm.
The meals for the inmates are prepared in two separate batches: for the condemned prisoners and the general population. Daniels explained that this is done because there are special stipulations where the food for the condemned inmates are concerned, such as bones being removed from the meat for security purposes.
There are 40 prisoners working in the kitchen under the supervision of three prison officers, which includes Daniels. The officers all received culinary training at the Carnegie School of Home Economics.
Daniels said that he engages in 15-minute training sessions with the inmates from time to time so he can share knowledge with them through practical examples. While he admitted that this time is inadequate, he stated that their schedule does not lend much room for longer sessions.
Preparations for the day’s meals begin between the hours of 4am and 4.30am by the inmates. Daniels said he reports for duty at 6am and breakfast is served between 7am and 8am. Lunch is served between 11am and 1pm and dinner between 2.30pm and 4pm. Daniels said his shift is 13 hours long on average and his staff work for about 10.
In his opinion, the food served at the penitentiary constitutes a balanced diet. A variety of fish, chicken, pork, and beef are served and he said inmates are served fruits two to three times a week. Those who are vegetarian have chunks added to their meals and those who require special diets are given soup and crushed and steamed foods, as recommended by the doctor and Medex at the prison. He did express, however, that perhaps a larger quantity of provision can be made available for the soups.
There were complaints by prisoners who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry that the cooks in the kitchen often appeared dirty and worked in insanitary conditions. According to Daniels, he briefs the prisoners on their expected conduct in the kitchen at regular intervals, as much as every two weeks. At these sessions, they are told of the requirement to wear aprons and cover their heads, have baths before they proceed on duty, keep their nails short and hands washed and to keep the surfaces clean as they work.
He related that he is made to do so that often because of the high rate of turnover of the kitchen staff; inmates either leave the institution or are released on bail. The prisoners who work in the kitchen were selected either by screening, (as when they enter the institution they are asked what fields they are knowledgeable in) or volunteer for the task, reportedly to occupy their time during the day.
Daniels said the food is taste-tested by prison officials daily, including medical staff, who create written reports. Patricia Anderson, Chief Prison Officer and Medex, testified on Thursday that the meals prepared by the kitchen are good quality and provide the inmates with a balanced diet, further stating that least three components of the food groups are served every day.
The Visiting Committee, which is a body that investigates and creates reports on the conditions within the prison, also reviews the food cooked in the kitchen. According to the 2015 report submitted by the Committee, it had rated the food “satisfactory” on a three point scale on which “satisfactory” was the best rating, followed by “fairly satisfactory” and “not satisfactory.” The report, which was cited by Com-missioner Merle Mendonca yesterday stated that the rating was based on the food “shown” to them. This was questioned by Mendonca, who made an inquiry into whether the committee members actually tasted the food. While Daniels seemed unsure on this point, he stated that he did remember them tasting the bread they baked on that occasion. When asked how he would rate the food, Daniels replied, “fairly satisfactory.”
When asked whether inmates would sometimes refuse food, he said yes but could not average how many would do so daily. Daniels admitted that he eats the same meals he prepares at the kitchen and that officers too would do so at times.
When it comes to recommendations for improvement of the cooking facilities, Daniels believes that additional gas stoves, refrigerators and freezers are needed. At present, he stated that there are four commercial gas cookers, a fireside, four ovens, one freezer, six cutting tables and six large pots.
