How Technology Ensures Efficient Meal Distribution
Out of all the time-sensitive demands, security-critical protocols, and operational tasks that correctional officers are responsible for, one of the most important duties is distributing meal trays to inmates. While meal distribution has been a popular discussion for years in terms of best practices, streamlining processes, and enhancing accountability, the topic is now trending outside of the industry.
Whether it be stories about facilities allowing inmates to collect more than one tray or using food deprivation as a penalization tool, inmate meal distribution has grown to be an increasingly sensitive topic. This has been a driving force in efforts to secure more efficient methods for tracking and documenting which inmates decline or accept their meal offering.
Effective jail management requires that inmates are not only offered their meals, but only the correct serving amount as too little or too much food can be dangerous for both inmates and officers. So, how can staff become more efficient and effective with meal management?
This blog walks through common challenges that facilities often face with meal distribution and shares tips on how to get back on track with properly capturing meal data. Let’s dive into the steps that can help your facility save time, money, resources, and unnecessary headaches by utilizing modern technology tools to ensure adequate meal distribution.
The Repercussions From Improper Meal Distribution
Improper meal distribution can mean a variety of things. For example, it can range from an officer not paying close enough attention to inmates who are sneaking a second tray, to an inmate refusing a meal but the officer falsely documenting it as “Accepted.” It can even mean that an inmate accepts their meal but then later claims they weren’t offered a meal, and the officer doesn’t have the documentation to prove it was accepted. The key to avoiding improper meal distribution is to have enough documentation to demonstrate officer due diligence.
Of course, inmates have the right to either accept or decline a meal. It’s 100% their decision to eat the food that the facility provides during breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They have control over that decision. What inmates do not have control over, though, is getting offered a meal by an officer. Officers are 100% responsible for ensuring that they are at least offering meals to inmates, regardless if they accept or decline the meal. If inmates are not being offered meals, it not only reflects poorly on the facility, but can also result in legal turmoil.
That’s why officers need to document when and to whom a meal was offered. Otherwise, it becomes an ugly game of he-said she-said. An inmate can easily claim that officers are withholding food from them, so it’s up to the staff to debunk these allegations. Failing to adequately document who was offered a meal can result in detrimental legal consequences if an inmate were to claim that they’ve been intentionally starved by staff and there isn’t any documentation to prove otherwise. It can also jumpstart other issues including:
Unequal access and distribution to nutrition: Uneven food distribution can poorly impact inmates’ health and well-being, especially those with dietary restrictions. Most jails offer roughly 2,500 calories in their food rations every day. So, when inmates are regularly skipping meal offers, it should be noticed and documented.
Security concerns over fighting for food and/or retaliation: Inmates arguing over food can create tension and result in built-up hostility not only between inmates themselves but also between inmates and staff. This can escalate into violence or increased efforts to steal or smuggle food or similar contraband. Dealing with unruly inmates can be emotionally and physically taxing, leading to our next issue…
A decrease in staff morale and an increase in workload: An influx of these issues adds unwanted stress and extra work to staff’s already-demanding tasks. Trying to keep up with inmates sneaking extra meals, shuffling through stacks of paperwork hoping to find records, or dealing with hungry and unruly inmates are just some of the exhausting issues that staff have to manage when it comes to improper meal distribution and inefficient tracking. And as we all know, tired staff with low morale can result in lower quality work, loss of motivation, or worse… a resignation letter.
Negative public perception: Unexplained discrepancies undermine societal trust and damage the public perception of the facility. And if you are thinking, “Who cares what the general public thinks about my facility?”, consider how public support can impact your facility. Having that trust and respect from the public can help avoid unnecessary issues such as protests and poor media attention.
Is there a Faster, Reliable Way to Monitor and Log Inmates Meals?
Tracking meals is critical when monitoring the health and wellness of inmates while ensuring that their rights are preserved. So, what’s the best solution to boosting efficiency and automating meal tracking? One word: technology. Technology adoption has almost always been a slow process in the corrections industry because “We’ve been doing it this way forever and have no real problems.” Well, that is not necessarily true. While the more “traditional” ways may seem to work fine, when you look a little closer, they are incredibly dated.
Just because it's the way you’ve always done it, doesn’t mean it’s the most efficient and effective way. For instance, the good, ol’ trusty pen and paper. While manually tracking meals with pen and paper has been done in the corrections industry since the Stone Age, it’s time-consuming and lacks the accuracy that technology provides. Not only this, but faced with litigation, pulling paper logs is a headache. For example, say an inmate claims they weren’t offered a meal. It will take hours (if not days or weeks) to find the documentation. And what if there are no written records? Well, you might be S.O.L.
The headaches associated with manual, inefficient methods of documentation can be easily prevented. The idea of having a meal tracking tool that allows you to pull up information in a matter of seconds may seem like #FakeNews, but you’re in luck: there are existing technologies already on the market that do just that.
GUARDIAN RFID’s Meal module function offers a streamlined and reliable method for inmate meal tracking that can assist in efficient and accurate documentation. Benefits of the tool include:
RFID technology: Each inmate is assigned an RFID wristband or ID tag that is individually scanned during meal times to ensure accurate identification and real-time meal distribution tracking. This ensures that every inmate is offered a single meal with the ability to quickly document the acceptance or declination, and eliminates the risk of inmates getting in line multiple times to sneakily receive another tray.
Instant verification: Eliminate ghost trays and instantly verify claims of missing meals in real-time. Having that instant scan and documentation when an inmate accepts or declines a meal ensures no one is missed. This helps guarantee that contact is made with each inmate during meal pass, working as an informal count as well.
Cold hard evidence: GUARDIAN RFID’s SPARTAN allows for high-resolution digital proof. Its 14MP high-definition camera can capture digital imaging and video evidence at the point of responsibility, proving whether or not an inmate physically accepted or denied a meal. It also can capture the physical quality of a meal if an inmate were to claim it was “inedible” or not up to their standards.
Data-driven insights: Analyze staff or inmate trends to identify areas for improvement across the facility. Previously unidentifiable issues such as “silent” hunger strikes can be easily identified using data-driven insights. This technological advancement can also assist with monitoring inmate health and provide appropriate documentation to medical staff if concerns arise.
Improved efficiency: Streamline meal distribution, reduce waste, and free up officer time for other critical tasks. With the risk of low officer morale and increased workload, the fallout from improper meal distribution can span the entire facility. Technology-enabled meal tracking can eliminate stress and unnecessary headaches for your staff. Plus, reducing unnecessary food waste helps to save the facility money and resources.
Documenting meal distribution isn’t necessarily the most interesting or glamorous part of the job. However, it is a crucial factor in ensuring inmates are getting the nutrition they need and legal consequences are being avoided. The enhanced insights and capabilities afforded by technology empower officers to exhibit heightened dude diligence throughout the entire process. By following internal policies and leveraging technology, effective and efficient meal distribution and documentation doesn’t need to be a sensitive subject, but rather the industry standard.