COMMISSARY

WARNING: “Eat At Your Own Risk”
Dallas (TX) County Jail Update  

Dallas County Jail/Sheriff’s office, serves and sells it’s prisoners and pre-trial detainees food items that are either outdated, nearly expired and/or that have no expiration dates on the packages.

The U.S. Constitution states that pre-trial detainees and prisoners have a right to be fed wholesome and nutritionally adequate food. Whether or not the law's intent includes food items sold to detainees and prisoners is still unclear and will likely require civil litigation against the Sheriff’s office, and it’s commissary contractor Mid-America, in order to clarify the legal question. Common sense would have a reasonable person believe that the law does include both food items served daily and those sold to the jails general population.

But the scheme Dallas Sheriff Valdez, her jail’s kitchen staff and commissary vender have going on behind the walls of the county jail is serious cause for concern and further scrutiny. Many friends and family members of the eight thousand plus citizens currently being held in the county’s jail system George Allen / Government Center; Decker Detention; Susan Kays Detention and Lew Sterrett North and West Towers, are particularly concerned about what’s going on and has been going on for years now.

For those who are hearing about this for the first time, if you have a friend or loved one in the Dallas County Jail, be sure to warn them that next time, before they take a bite of the food served, check the expiration date (if there is one) on all the packaged items on their tray.

More often than not they will discover what the jail’s dieticians and Sheriff’s office has known for years, that what they are being fed is either past the expiration date, nearly expired, or there is no expiration date anywhere on the package. This is possibly some sort of cost cutting scheme by the Sheriff’s office and possibly other public officials responsible for the jail’s budget. Nevertheless, friends and loved ones should also be warned to pay very close attention to food items sold to them by the jail's Commissary vender Mid-America.

Page six (6) of the jail’s inmate handbook states “Any questions concerning purchases from the commissary must be brought to the attention of the vendor at the time of sale”. What this means is that all sales are final. If a friend or loved one is sold an expired, or nearly expired food item with no expiration date on the package, they must immediately bring it to the attention of the commissary worker, otherwise they will be stuck with the item and lose any chance of exchanging it or being refunded the cost.

This is especially important, not just for ensuring the food item purchased is fresh, but because the Sheriff's office charges exorbitant prices for the items sold on the jail’s commissary. Prices in many instances are not even closely comparable to the prices for the same items sold in your local grocery stores ( I.E., Ramon Noodles are $.10 - $.15 in the free world and sold for $.65 at the Dallas Jail; a box of Crystal light is opened and individual/single packages are sold for $.30 each) This is what many are calling exploitation of a captive consumer base.

Is it fair to assume that the sheriff’s commissary vender pays a fraction of the cost for large volume purchases made for the items sold at the jail? Would it the be fair to further assume that, by purchasing these outdated or near expired food items from the commissary and food service distributors, both Mid-America and the Sheriff's office receive a substantial discount by the mere fact that their purchases help food distributors avoid profit losses caused by having to discard what is usually considered unsaleable food items?

Although federal regulations prohibit retailers and restaurants from selling or serving outdated, or nearly expired food items to consumers without first giving notice, the consumers locked inside the county jail are obviously viewed as fair game, and therefore not entitled to any prior notice from Mid-America Commissary nor the Sheriff’s Kitchen staff.

Few will disagree that it would be like stepping on a political land mind if say, D.I.S.D. officials were doing at our local schools what public servants responsible for jail operations are doing with regard to the food they are selling and serving.

Because these scandalous activities are taking place at the infamous county jail (which is currently the subject of a federal investigation focusing on sanitation conditions, among other issues) and not the public schools our children attend does not make the matter less important, nor does it make it right.

To say that there is a world of difference between prisoners and children and to use that difference as the excuse for overcharging prisoners for out-of-date food shows a great lack of real understanding of the link between all issues. Prisoners earn no money, so their family pays the high prices. Overcharges to prisoners results in less food on the table for their children. What part of that does Sheriff Valdes not understand?

What is happening at the Dallas County Jail deserves extra scrutiny. If for no reason other than to insure the public that there are no inappropriate relationships or favors being exchanged as in the past between the people directly and indirectly involved in the jail's operations and the food items sold and served there.

Google Dallas Sheriff Jim Bowles for info on investigation. He was accused of the favor commissary vendors gave him.

Below is a brief list of items sold and/or served at the Dallas Jail in November and December of 2005, that was either outdated, undated, or nearly expired.

Lakeith Amir Sharif
Dallas County Jail

P = PURCHASED from Commissary Cart which they wheel around to each cell block.
S = SERVED at meals;

1. Andy Copp’s Con Agra Foods PO Box 3768, Dept AC Omaha, NE, 68103-0768	S. Salsa Fries exp 11/03/05 P. Hot Fries Exp.11/07/05 P. Cheddar Fries Exp. date 11/25/05 #26200 49090	Purchase # unavailable So mad, I threw all the packages out the cell. This is what gave medical document of food products.
2. Herr’s Herr Foods Inc. PO Box 300 Nothingham PA, 19362 www.herrs.com 1-800-523-5030 (complaint and comment line)	P. Corn Chips # 72600 00565 P. Barbeque Potato chips #72600 00575	January 02, 2006   January 02 and 10th, 2006
3. Little Debbie McKee Foods PO Box 750 Collagedate, TN 37315 1-800-522-4499	P. Oatmeal Creme Pie #24300 86361 Bakery License #07884	January 05, 2006
4.Mac’s Snacks Mfg. By: EFT general office Chicago, IL 60609 www.macsnacks.com	P. Saksa Aunib cracklins #73497 00436 P. Spicy Hot Cracklins #73497 25345	October 15, 2005 January 07, 2006
5. Mrs. Freshley’s Produce Bakery. Dist by Flowers Foods specialty coop, LLC 5087 S. Royal Atlanta Dr. Tucker, GA, 30084 www.????.com	P. Carrot Cake #72250 00754	December 12, 2005
6. Synders of Hanover, Inc Hanover, OA 17331 www.snydersofhanover.com  *They aren’t connected with Snyder of Berlin, PA 15530	P. Jalapeno pieces # 77975 08110	December 25, 2005
7. Kraft www.Kraftfoods.com 1-800-431-1003	S. Ritz “To Go” crackers and cheddar cheese #21000 62486 S. Crackers & Natural Marble, Colby & Monterrey Jack Cheese #21000 62487	January 14, 2006   January 16, 2006
8. Market Day Itasca, IL 60143 www.marketday.com	S. Fruit Singles (no proof of purchase found)	Unknown no expiration date on product
9. Kellogg’s Dist. By Kellogg Sales Co. Battle Creek, MI 49016 1-800-962-1413	S. Nutri Grain Muffin Bars #36000 01338 38000 (?)	no expiration date on product
10. Sugar Kake Dist. By Bremner Inc. Tonawanda, NY 14150	P. Strawberry Cookies #71711 00048	no expiration. date on product

Mail Out and Email Listing
(For Food Service/Commissary Article)

 

Snail Mail Listing (For Food Service/Commissary Article)

1. U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Right Division
   Attn: Assistant Attorney General Wan J. Kim, Asst. Atty. General Dallas, office.
2. U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Right Division Washington, D.C. office
3. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst 
4. Dallas Tx Commissioners Court 
5. Tx. Commissioner on Jail Standards Mike Cantrell, Dallas County Commissioner District 2
6. Sheriff Lupe Valdez 
7. Dallas Mayor Laura Miller 
8. Becky Oliver - Investigative Reporter  KDFW-TV FOX 4 Becky.Oliver@usa.net
9. Food and Drug Administration 

Email Listing (For Food Service/Commissary Article)

1. Usual Dallas news media targets
2. www.PublicCitizens.com  (Texas watchdog group)
3. www.TaxpayersForCommonSense.com
4. viewpointe@dallasnews.com lethenstoedolor@dallasnews.com
5. jacksone@globe.com  
6. nancykruh@swbell.net
7. mdavis@wbap.com
8. lpitts@herald.com
9. Raymond E Jones, 05063141 Dallas County Jail. 500 Commerce St. Dallas, TX 75202