Travis County limits hot meals for inmates amid kitchen issues
The Travis County Correctional Complex began Monday a temporary limit on hot meals served amid ongoing kitchen issues at the facility, county officials said in a release.
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TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — The Travis County Correctional Complex began Monday a temporary limit on hot meals served amid ongoing kitchen issues at the facility, county officials said in a release.
In place of the standard number of hot meals served to inmates, the correctional complex will offer cold meals that include sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, pretzels and applesauce. Licensed dieticians have and continue to work with inmates to meet nutritional and caloric needs, the release added.
Officials attributed the change to issues with the kitchen's plumbing structure. A rupture in the main drain line system was found under the complex's concrete foundation, and crews will need to excavate the site to make the repairs, officials said.
In 2015, a Travis County assessment called for kitchen renovations at the correctional complex to help enhance efficiencies and improve "major physical deficiencies." The county's 2016 Adult System Master Plan noted the necessary improvements alongside calls for a new central booking facility, female housing facility and training academy. That plan had been postponed by Travis County Commissioners Court, officials said in the release.
The correctional complex's kitchen facility is more than 20 years old and serves three meals a day to a current average of 2,200 inmates, per the release.
The Travis County Sheriff's Office's maintenance supervisor is working with contractors who will oversee the plumbing project. Both excavation work and menu changes began Monday, the release added.
"It’s unfortunate that we’re dealing with this challenge. We have many old buildings that are showing their age, and our maintenance team does an incredible job of keeping our facilities in the best shape possible," Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez said in the release. "I’m thankful to our TCSO team and to the plumbing contractors who are dedicated to fixing this very significant issue as quickly as possible."