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Q&A
Discussion on improving food services and quality for incarcerated individuals
2:51:51
ยท
5 min
Council Member Gale Brewer expresses concerns about the quality of food at DOC facilities and inquires about budget allocations and improvements. Multiple DOC officials provide information on current efforts and future plans.
- The current fiscal year budget for food is $18,800,000
- DOC is adding more plant-based menu options in collaboration with the mayor's office
- Nearly all daily food is produced locally in two production kitchens at RNDC and AMKC
- A grant from the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance Game Changer Fund is supporting healthy food initiatives
- Nearly 100 DOC cooks have been trained in plant-based culinary meals
- DOC is collaborating with DCAS, Hot Bread Kitchen, and the Mayor's Office of Food Policy on food procurement
- There is interest in exploring farm-to-table concepts, but budget constraints are a consideration
- DOC is in the process of hiring an assistant commissioner to oversee nutritional services and potentially focus on improving the menu
Gale Brewer
2:51:51
Quickly on food.
2:51:52
I've been to Rikers many times.
2:51:54
I do find the food, even though I know you're making some improvements, to be very challenging.
2:52:00
So my question is, ex you know, tell us how much you are spending, what changes you're making.
2:52:07
I know that there is an overhaul going on.
2:52:09
My hope would be to have much more fresh fruits and vegetables working with Grow NYC.
2:52:14
I don't understand.
2:52:15
Upstate is doing it.
2:52:17
Commissioner Ball at at Ag and Markets is working with the, correction, and they are doing a lot more farm to table at their facilities.
2:52:27
We're not doing that here.
2:52:29
And I would like to see more of it.
2:52:30
So what exactly dollar wise and in terms of improvements are you making?
2:52:37
Like I said, Upstate, much more farm to table.
Mala Srinivasan
2:52:41
Good afternoon, councilmember Brewer.
2:52:44
This is Mala Sunewassen.
2:52:46
The budget for food in the current fiscal year is $18,800,000, and we are adding more plant based menu options in collaboration with mayor's office of
Gale Brewer
2:52:58
I'm not great on plant based.
2:52:59
I want unless it's fresh.
2:53:00
Go ahead.
2:53:01
You know, I don't like plant based.
2:53:03
I want fresh fruits and vegetables.
2:53:05
Go ahead.
Mala Srinivasan
2:53:06
I would defer to my colleague, DC Saunders, to just elaborate more on that.
2:53:11
Oh, god.
Gale Brewer
2:53:12
Don't give me no plant boot.
2:53:13
Go ahead.
UNKNOWN
2:53:14
Before you begin, do you will you raise your right hand?
2:53:20
Do you affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth before this committee and to respond honestly to council member questions?
James N. Saunders
2:53:26
Yes.
2:53:27
I do.
UNKNOWN
2:53:27
Thank you.
James N. Saunders
2:53:28
Alright.
2:53:30
Thank you for the question, councilman Brewer.
2:53:32
I remember last year
Gale Brewer
2:53:34
Same question.
James N. Saunders
2:53:35
You were very, very emphatic about disliking the plant based food.
Gale Brewer
2:53:39
Yeah.
2:53:39
And I continue
James N. Saunders
2:53:40
But let let let me share this.
2:53:41
So
Gale Brewer
2:53:41
this year I want local produce and local meat for people in custody.
2:53:45
Go ahead.
James N. Saunders
2:53:46
Alright.
2:53:46
So let let's be clear that nearly all of the department's daily food that is shared and and produced, locally, it is, created in two production kitchens, one in RNDC and one in AMKC.
2:53:59
So the staff there heroically produced nearly, I would say, 21,000 meals on a daily basis to persons in custody as well as to staff.
2:54:10
Now with respect to providing more fresh fruits and vegetables, as you know, last year I testified that the mayor's office of food policy applied for and received a grant from the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, Game Changer Fund, that the goal was to increase access to healthy, culturally appropriate and affordable and low carbon foods for the New York City Department of Corrections while positioning the city's food workers with an ability to improve their skills and advance their careers via a plant based culinary training and certification program.
2:54:46
So I'm happy to report that as of today, we have trained, I would say, nearly 100 of DOC cooks as well as some ACS cooks in preparation for plant based culinary meals.
2:55:01
So today, in concert with DCAS, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services, Hot Bread Kitchen and DOC, as well as the Mayor's Office of Food Policy, We're collaborating on requisitioning, if you will, food and contracting out those foods.
2:55:21
DCAS, as you know, is in control of purchasing and procuring foods.
Gale Brewer
2:55:25
I'm aware, very aware.
2:55:26
The poor commissioner hears about it every single day from me.
2:55:30
Right.
James N. Saunders
2:55:31
So as you know, right, they're they're responsible for Okay.
2:55:34
Executing those contracts on behalf of several city agencies.
2:55:36
So we look forward to working with them on incorporating
Gale Brewer
2:55:39
Okay.
James N. Saunders
2:55:40
These new menus into our
Gale Brewer
2:55:41
I'm aware of the hot bread kitchen.
2:55:43
That's fabulous.
2:55:43
But I wanna know if you know.
2:55:45
Governor Hochul signed legislation to establish a program to purchase fresh produce from farms in New York State for incarcerated individuals in her facilities.
2:55:55
This is a direction for the Commission of Corrections and Community Supervision upstate.
2:56:01
Has this legislation impacted DOC here in any way?
2:56:04
Are you familiar with this legislation?
2:56:06
And then I'd like to know, maybe not today, but what are the dollar figures, if any, the DOC uses, and this would come from DCAS, I understand this, to purchase produce and meat for people in custody, specifically for you.
2:56:19
Now decaf purchases I know for HRA, DFTA, and you.
2:56:25
Those are the three places.
2:56:26
Harder to do for DFTA perhaps, people are scattered, senior centers.
2:56:31
Maybe harder to do for DSS, people are scattered.
2:56:34
Not scattered at Ryker's.
2:56:36
You're in one place.
2:56:37
Why can you not purchase produce for people in custody from Upstate?
2:56:41
Are you doing anything now?
2:56:42
Could you please give me any numbers?
James N. Saunders
2:56:46
So I you know, again, we rely on decast to procure our foods, right, all of our menu So clearly I think we would support local farms.
Gale Brewer
2:56:59
So you don't know the answer to that question?
James N. Saunders
2:57:00
But I don't know the answer specifically to that.
Francis Torres
2:57:02
But I will tell you the following, if I may, Council Member Brewer.
Gale Brewer
2:57:05
I ask every year this question.
Francis Torres
2:57:07
So what I will tell you is that Deputy Commissioner Saunders is presently looking for an assistant commissioner that will oversee our nutritional services unit.
2:57:19
And I say that because it is my interest for our menu to be revisited, and DC Saunders knows that, like you, I do believe in the farm to table concept.
2:57:31
You and I also know how expensive it is and how as a city government, we need to stay within budget.
2:57:37
What our internal goal is to make sure that when that assistant commissioner is onboarded, that that happens to be part of the focus.
Gale Brewer
2:57:45
Okay.