Policy Text
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES Page 1 of 3 11/02 (REV 9/18)
MJ/RCCC
OPERATIONS ORDER
Meal Counts and Service
The purpose of this Order is to outline the requirements and pr ocedures for providing
prisoner meals at the Main Jail and the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center (RCCC) .
I. Policy
The Main Jail and RCCC shall serv e meals in accordance with the frequency, quality,
quantity, and nutritional standards set forth in Title 15, Sect ion 1240 of the California
Code of Regulations. II. Frequency of Meal Service
A. Inmates shall be pr ovided with three (3) meals, served at re gular times,
during each twenty-four (24) hour period.
1. At least one of these meal s shall include hot food.
B. Supplemental food shall be se rved to inmates if more than fo urteen (14)
hours pass between meals.
C. Supplemental food shall be serv ed to inmates on medical diet s or “special
diets” in less than a fourteen ( 14) hour period if prescribed b y a
Correctional Health S ervices physician.
D. A minimum of fifteen (15) mi nutes shall be allowed for the a ctual
consumption of each meal excep t for those prisoners on medical diets
where the Correctional Health S ervices physician has prescribed
additional time.
E. Provisions shall be made for inmates who may miss a regularl y scheduled
facility meal. The inmate(s) sha ll be provided with a substitu te meal and
beverage, and inmates on medical diets shall be provided with t heir
prescribed meal.
1. The meal shall minimally incl ude a sandwich, one piece of fr uit, and
a beverage.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES Page 2 of 3 11/02 (REV 9/18)
MJ/RCCC III. Meal Count
A. Custody staff assigned to kitc hen duties shall be responsibl e for gathering
an accurate meal count for the fa cility. The Jail Inmate Manag ement
Systems (JIMS) may be used to generate a summary count of inmat es by
housing location. A separate coun t for inmates temporarily hel d in other
areas (laundry, booking, e tc.) shall be conducted.
B. Custody staff assigned to kitc hen duties shall be responsibl e for
supervising the delivery of meal s to the appropriate locations.
IV. Meal Service
A. Sworn and non-sworn custody s taff shall ensure that the meal s served are
properly prepared, safe for cons umption, and are equally alloca ted.
B. Sworn custody staff shall supervise the service of all inmat e meals.
C. Meal service shall be done in housing units by inmates assig ned as
Housing Unit workers. Housing unit custody staff may assign ot her
inmates to this task as necessary.
D. Inmates housed in cells wher e food ports are present may be served their
meal through the use of their cell door food port. This typica lly includes
prisoners housed in disciplinary housing, administrative segreg ation,
intake housing units, and the Ac ute Psychiatric Unit at the Mai n Jail. If a
substantive delay or disruption , caused by an inmate housed in a cell with
a food port, disrupts mail servic e or causes meal service to no t be
completed, a supervisor shall be notified and documentation to include a
log entry shall be completed. A discipline report should be co mpleted
where applicable.
E. Sentenced inmate workers assigned to kitchen duties during d esignated
meal times shall be served their meal in the dining rooms locat ed near the
kitchen or in a location des ignated by kitchen staff.
1. Meal service for sentenced in mate workers shall be supervise d by
the sworn custody staff member assigned to kitchen duties.
F. Inmates located in booking ar eas during meal times shall be served their
meals in the booking holding cells.
1. Meal service for these inmate s shall be supervised by sworn
custody staff assigned to intake duties.
G. At the Main Jail , inmates located in the Court Holding Area in the
basement during lunch time shall be given their meal in the Cou rt Holding
Area under the supervision of t he Court Escort Officer.
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES Page 3 of 3 11/02 (REV 9/18)
MJ/RCCC 1. Inmates located in the Court H olding Area during dinner shal l be
given their meal upon returning to their respective housing uni t.
H. Upon the completion of the m eal, all trays, cups, eating ute nsils and carts
shall be accounted for and returned to the kitchen.
1. Custody staff assigned to housing units shall count all tray s, cups,
eating utensils, and ot her utensils used for serving food prior to
serving the meal and before the items are return ed to the kitch en.
Appendices: None
Related Orders: Operations Orders: 11/01, Food Service Plan; 11/04, Culinary
Equipment Control
References: California Code of Regulatio ns, Title 15, Section 1240, 1241, 1243,
1246, 1248