Inmates Go on Food Strike Over Fare They Say Is Bug-Tainted

Nearly 100 inmates went on a food strike Thursday at the Ventura County Jail because they say maggots, ants and worms have been found in their meals.

The inmates, who are eating candy bars and potato chips that they have stashed away, say they will boycott the jail’s fare until something is done to improve the quality of the food. Jail officials, however, say there are no insects in the jail food.

“There’s nothing wrong with the food,” said Sgt. Ken Warren, a watch commander at the jail. “Compared to other jails, it’s way above the standard.”

The complaints over the jail’s food heated up last Friday when one inmate complained that he found a maggot in a meatball. The food was sent to a lab and tested, but authorities were unable tell whether the small, white object was an insect larva, Warren said.

On Tuesday, the inmates in the maximum-security unit complained that there were bugs in the cooked beans. County health inspectors, responding to the new complaints, checked the food at the jail on Tuesday and found no bugs.