This whole “privatize government services to a for-profit corporation” thing is just going so well isn’t it? Prison food vendor Aramark has stubbed its toe a few times, but, hey, we have to “work with them”, as Governor Snyder put it. And by stubbing their toe, I mean:
- Running out of food
- Making unauthorized food substitutions in violation of their contract
- Maggots in food service areas
- Employees having sex with prisoners
- Serving raw or under-cooked meat to inmates
- Falsifying food storage and safety records
- Smuggling weed, cocaine, and heroin to prisoners
- An employee soliciting an inmate to murder another inmate
Just a few little things. It’s not like they’ve had this problem in other states or something (yes, they have.)
So, the news that broke yesterday that a third Aramark employee was busted smuggling drugs to inmates is no big deal, right?
A third Aramark prison food worker has been fired on suspicion of smuggling drugs into a Michigan prison, and the case is under investigation by the Michigan State Police, officials confirmed today.The kitchen worker at Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in Adrian was fired and banned from prison property on Oct. 3 on suspicion of smuggling marijuana into the prison, Corrections Department spokesman Russ Marlan said.
The case is under investigation and no charges have been filed yet, a spokesman for the Michigan State Police said today.
“If this is true … we consider it irresponsible and inappropriate to comment on an active police investigation,” said Karen Cutler, a spokeswoman for Aramark.
The male Aramark Correctional Services worker from Gus Harrison is at least the third prison food worker fired and investigated by authorities on suspicion of smuggling drugs into state prisons since the Philadelphia-based company began its three-year, $145-million contract in December.
“Irresponsible” and “inappropriate”. Those are interesting word choices.
Governor Snyder, who prides himself on his business acumen, continues to defend Aramark, long after any rational “leader” would have sent them packing. I wonder how long a vendor with this long litany of transgressions would last if he were the CEO of a company that hired them? Not long, I’ll wager.
But, hey, they’re just prisoners, right? It’s not like prison is “a five-star restaurant”.
Nothing to see here, folks. Please move along.
