Following allegations that the Orange County Jail was in violation of multiple food service standards, an unannounced, onsite inspection found the allegations to be untrue, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department announced on April 11.
Because of COVID, the OC Jail previously didn’t have food in the “chow halls” and would eat in the cells instead. The transportation of the food to the cells made them have a modified menu.
The OC Jail was hit with a surprise inspection on March 17 and 18 by the California Board of State and Community Corrections to “verify that food service has resumed to normal operation, that food storage systems are appropriate and that items being served are fit for human consumption.”
The inspection was caused by a March 10 inquiry from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that alleged that the OC Sheriff-run jails were in violation of multiple standards and regulations, including religious observances, minimum diet, medical diet, frequency of hot meals, food service plan, and kitchen facilities, sanitation, and food storage.
However, the board found that “kitchen facilities were clean, orderly, well-stocked and contained food items that were consistent with grocery store standards,” according to the sheriff’s department.
The board also found the food served in jails to meet the required standard.
“Hot meal components are included in meal service, medical and religious diets have not been interrupted, and the kitchen facilities were clean, orderly, well-stocked, and contained food items that were consistent with grocery store standards appearing edible, without mold or a rotten appearance from a consumer perspective,” the board wrote in an Apr. 6 letter, obtained by The Epoch Times.
Just a couple of days prior to the board’s inspection, the Orange County Health Care Agency provided documentation to the board of state and community corrections on March 15 to verify the agency’s own inspections, which were conducted, and found no areas of non-compliance, according to the sheriff’s department.
“Despite assertions, the findings from [Board of State and Community Corrections] after an unannounced inspection show exactly what we have said time and time again—we provide nutritionally balanced and healthy meals that meet or exceed requirements for incarcerated persons entrusted to our care,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said in a statement.
