WHERE DID THE BREAD GO? - MAYBE THE CHICKEN KNOWS!

In what was recently predicted as an upcoming concern in the post "WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? TO AVOID THE GRINDER AT THE ISCC!" on this site, the issues surrounding the changing of the inmate food menu has taken a drastic turn for the worse at the ISCC.

On Sunday July 9, 2023, food service staff sent lunches to the housing units which contained a peanut butter and jelly (sandwich), along with what is described as a "weekend muffin" (1 each) and apple. When the lunches were distributed, prisoners noticed that neither the bread or the muffin were bigger than a standard business card (watch video below).

In what's becoming more common at the ISCC staff are allowing/having inmates to do their jobs and perform their duties. In this case, a food service [inmate] clerk - housed on a different tier than what was being fed - was standing over the meals, notebook in hand, as the bags were being distributed.

When housing staff were asked by upset and frustrated prisoners to have food service staff come to the unit to view the sizes of the portions (as is required by policy) the inmate clerk interjected himself into the conversations and attempted to defend the food service practices. Had not housing staff been present, this inmate would have faced serious and likely violent consequences for his mouthing off to prisoners who complained about the "meal".

Worse yet, the bread served on Sunday hadn't "risen" because, as one food worker boasted, they kept all the yeast for themselves from at least 2 batches of bread baked in the prison bakery. (AUTHOR'S NOTE: This likely wasn't true as, as I understand it, the yeast comes pre-mixed with the flour.) These same workers "forgot" to put sugar in the baked goods earlier in the week, though [according to food service workers] records show that the sugar (which is no longer sold in the commissary because of concerns that prisoners were making alcohol), was used that date. Either the sugar walked out of the kitchen [with inmates, staff or both] or someone is (sugar-free) fudging the records, and if that's the case, where's the money going?

This same bread is now being served not only for prisoners to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but for all meals, including to be used as hamburger and hot dog buns, bread for all sandwiches, garlic bread and dinner rolls. Further, while the menu specifies that the bread is to be "whole grain", it isn't. In response to a Concern Form sent to ISCC food service, a staff member responded that the bread had "some wheat flour added to the flour". Sprinkling a few flakes of wheat flour into 100 pounds of bleached, processed white flour is a long way from making whole grain bread.

The night before (Saturday, July 8, 2023), prisoners who live in housing units fed last or near last were given half rations of the entree because those in the units fed earlier were given twice as much food as was called for on the menu. When asked about the "light" trays, food service staff simply stated that the amount was "correct" though clearly it was not, and these same staff KNEW it wasn't right.

You see, it was discovered almost halfway through the meal service that the 10 ounce ladles that were used to portion the potato/ham entree did not equate to a 10 ounce portion of the food. How this same issue has continued for years - despite having access not only to their portion (size) menu, but the PRODUCTION menu as well is completely beyond me.

Food service staff here seem to attribute any problem with portion sizes with their inability to convert measurements for liquid, to measurements for volume and solids and vice versa. I'm just happy the IDOC doesn't have a space program. (NOTE: A 10 ounce ladle filled with whipped cream is not a 10 ounce (by weight) serving of whipped cream!)

It's one thing to be wrong, but it's another thing to know you're wrong and lie about it. I can understand the frustration knowing that something isn't going right, and being asked about the same thing several hundred times in the span of an hour, all the while your co-worker(s) sit at a table looking through their phone, or surfing the internet on their computer in the office, but I can't understand how any reasonable person can call those lies, and those telling the lies, professional.

So ask yourself, where is all the taxpayer money that has been allocated to feed prisoners going? Why are the inmates running the asylum they call a kitchen at the ISCC? Keep an eye on this site, and I'll look into that. If you have any questions or comments on this or any other subject, please feel free to contact me through the site, through JPay or mail.