And where packages from home are allowed, workers have thrown away those that contained forbidden items. Prisons and jails have long restricted the types of items inmates can receive from the outside - nothing with poppy seeds, for example, or no boxer shorts with patterns on them. Keefe Group and Union Supply Direct did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Correctional facilities determine the prices, nutritional guidelines, and labor model used in their contracts with the company, she said. “We deliver experiences that enrich and nourish millions of lives every day,” Karen Cutler, vice president of corporate communications for Aramark, wrote in an emailed response to questions. (Source: 2014 Union Supply Direct contract bid in West Virginia.) Projected annual pay for one inmate working full time in package program. In some cases, the snacks - such as Big Haus sausages - are made exclusively for correctional facilities other items, like single packets of mayo, are typically not sold individually. Most food items can be stored without refrigeration and consumed in a cell with the help of a hot pot, including dried ramen noodles, instant coffee, and mac and cheese. (Not pictured: Cactus Annie’s Tortilla Chips.) At Pima County Jail, Arizona, it costs $56. With about four dozen individual items, this gift pack is one of the largest premade packages sold by Access Securepak, and contains a variety of snack foods. There’s often a variety of premade gift packs, like the “Heat and Eat” package sold by iCare, a program of the stadium and schools food service giant Aramark, that contains a quesadilla, soda, and 10 packs of ramen noodles. (Food typically must be in hermetically sealed and tamper-proof packages, which rules out most fresh options.) Honey Buns Most snacks and meals are heavily processed and packed with sugar, fat, and sodium. Perhaps because prison meals often leave much to be desired, food tends to dominate care package offerings. It would be so nice to send a pair of socks or something I went and picked out for him.” “It’s hard to do that through the calls and brief visits. We don’t love their crime, but we love them,” says Julie Tyson of Morehead City, North Carolina, whose son is incarcerated in a state prison. The privatization of services at correctional facilities generally leaves prisoners and their families with fewer choices, forcing them to do business with certain vendors or go without, says Wanda Bertram, a spokesperson for the Prison Policy Initiative, a nonprofit that advocates for incarcerated people and their families and has conducted research on predatory practices in the prison and jail communication industry.Īlthough catalogs can contain hundreds of items, some relatives lament their inability to send a personalized gift. Keefe is a wholly owned direct subsidiary of TKC Holdings, which is indirectly controlled by the Miami-based private equity firm H.I.G. Louis, Missouri, is composed of several companies that provide services to prisons and jails nationwide, including care packages, commissary, video visitation, and surveillance technology. Access Securepak had more than 125 active custom package programs nationwide in 2014 and was the exclusive provider for 18 state departments of corrections. Keefe Commissary Network, which along with Access Securepak is part of Keefe Group, reported net sales of more than $375 million from care package, commissary, and technology programs in 2012, according to a 2014 contract proposal posted on the West Virginia state government website. Companies that offer care package programs often bundle additional services, such as phone and commissary, into one contract with a corrections agency. Prisoner care packages are part of a lucrative industry that provides a range of services to incarcerated people and their families. The Los Angeles County jails’ contract for care packages includes annual “gift packs” that are given to inmates for free during the winter holiday season, complete with a card from the county.Īt least one program, Access Securepak, offers religious items including the Bible, rosary beads, and Allah pendants. (See note below about product images.)įor the holidays, families can choose from seasonal products think red and green cream-filled Hostess cupcakes and peppermint Twinkies. Sweatpants: $15.08, Correctional Treatment Facility, Washington, DC. Egg crystals: $3.95, Hutchinson Correctional Facility, Kansas. Tuna pouch: $1.45, Clark County, Illinois. Clear radio: $27.99, Wyandotte County, Kansas.
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