Q&A
Grievance process and debate on consequences for Keefe Group
1:16:10
ยท
3 min
Council Member Julie Won questions the grievance process for reporting commissary issues and debates with DOC officials about consequences for Keefe Group for expired items.
- Inmates can file grievances within the facility or call 311 to report issues with commissary items.
- Won expresses concern that the onus is on inmates to go through a grievance process for refunds on expired items.
- James Conroy defends Keefe, stating that the number of expired items (56 in 2024) is extremely low compared to the total volume of orders.
- A debate ensues about whether there should be consequences for Keefe Group for providing expired items.
- Council Member Sandy Nurse interjects, noting previous discussions about the onerous nature of the grievance process and questioning the lack of consequences for Keefe.
Julie Won
1:16:10
But now the onus is on them to go through a grievance process to call 301.
1:16:14
Or what is the other process?
Nell McCarty
1:16:18
We have grievance within the facility where they can
Julie Won
1:16:21
submit their offer.
1:16:22
Form.
1:16:24
So, again, my question is, what are the consequences for Keefe for selling expired items, especially perishable food where people can get very sick when consuming their expired products?
James Conroy
1:16:37
I'd just point out, this is an extraordinarily low situation we have.
1:16:41
You know, as DC McCarty just mentioned, you know, we had the refunds that were processed and what we see were of the 100 of thousands of orders and items that are provided, we've had 60 you know, 56 for total for, in 2024 for expired.
1:16:59
So, I mean, in a comparison, we're not talking about widespread issues related to expired items.
Julie Won
1:17:04
Do you think in the outside world, if I went to a supermarket and out of the things I purchased, even if I had 2 things that were expired, do you think the consumers of the world would be upset?
James Conroy
1:17:15
Yeah.
1:17:15
And we'd have to go back to the store to get a refund, which I've done in my life.
1:17:20
So, I mean, we're we're not saying the same thing here.
1:17:22
We're talking about it very minor.
Julie Won
1:17:23
Consumer protections in New York City, you should have consumer protections in as an inmate, and it shouldn't be on them to go through an onerous process to get the money back.
1:17:34
And there should be consequences to Keefe for their 56 expired items.
1:17:38
What were they?
James Conroy
1:17:40
I understand.
1:17:41
That's not I'm sorry.
1:17:42
I I don't think that it needs to be any consequences for a vendor that provides an immense service to the people on Rikers Island for what is really an extraordinarily small potential.
1:17:53
I'm not mitigating it.
1:17:54
We should not you know, that that should not happen in any, right, supermarket or anywhere in the world, but it does.
1:18:01
And in these circumstances, again, evidenced by the very low it's not first of all, it's also not an onerous process, I mean, to make agreements.
1:18:09
I mean, it's literally a phone call or raising it up to someone in the facility and then that gets transferred to Keefe and then these these refunds are made.
1:18:16
So I I challenge the notion that the grievance process is onerous, but secondary to that, it's also a very small percentage of items that we're talking about in the 100 of 1,000 when we have complaints of anything related to commissary in less than 1% of all the delivered items.
Sandy Nurse
1:18:33
Okay.
1:18:33
I just wanna know for the record, we've had multiple conversations here publicly about the how the grievance process is actually owner onerous on individuals.
1:18:43
And most people don't even bother with it because they know how ineffective it has been.
1:18:48
I think you've been here at some of those conversations, if I recall correctly.
1:18:54
You know, I think the fact that a contract jumps so high, I mean, there should be a standard of excellence.
1:19:01
There's just a question here of, like, there's no consequence.
1:19:04
Your testimony is that there shouldn't be a consequence, I think is a a pretty poor statement to make.
1:19:12
But to say that the grievance process is is, functional when we've still been waiting to hear the updates of how it has been improved, if at all, is I think, a miss a a miss a poor statement about the situation.