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State Workers Vie To Win Back Food Service Contract For Ohio's Prisons

Warren Correctional Institution in Lebanon, Ohio
Jerry Kenney
Warren Correctional Institution in Lebanon, Ohio

After losing the contract to provide food service for Ohio Prisons in 2013, the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, (OCSEA) is trying to win the contract back.

To save costs two years ago, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections selected Aramark, a large private contractor, to supply food to state prisons.

Aramark has been scrutinized in the last year following reports of unsanitary work conditions, and staffing and food shortages. But prisons director Gary Mohr says he's not concerned about renewing the contract.

“What’s important to note and what’s not been talked about is, if you look at the performance of Aramark over the last year and you look graphically at the number of incidents, they’ve dramatically gone down,” he said.  

Mohr has worked in the state prison system for forty years and says he saw the same issues, the same period of adjustment, when state workers took over privatized food service decades ago.

Now, the employees union, which also represents prison guards and food service personnel says it has a new proposal that would reduce costs for the state.

“We believe we can make the institution safer, make the food service operation more efficient, and still save more than $2.9 million dollars below Aramark's Costs," says Michael Tenney, a member of the union's Food Service Committee.

The department of corrections says it will consider the union’s proposal before a new contract is issued this summer.

Jerry began volunteering at WYSO in 1991 and hosting Sunday night's Alpha Rhythms in 1992. He joined the YSO staff in 2007 as Morning Edition Host, then All Things Considered. He's hosted Sunday morning's WYSO Weekend since 2008 and produced several radio dramas and specials . In 2009 Jerry received the Best Feature award from Public Radio News Directors Inc., and was named the 2023 winner of the Ohio Associated Press Media Editors Best Anchor/News Host award. His current, heart-felt projects include the occasional series Bulletin Board Diaries, which focuses on local, old-school advertisers and small business owners. He has also returned as the co-host Alpha Rhythms.