Inmates’ Snacks Held Up Amid Health Debate

The quest to improve health by purging vending machines of junk food has spread from a few Southern California school districts to the realm of another captive audience: inmates.

In Los Angeles County, a $35-million contract to provide jailhouse vending machines has been held up for weeks, in part because county Supervisor Michael Antonovich objected to the sugary, fat-packed snacks being offered. Antonovich -- a health buff who chugs carrot juice for breakfast -- asked the county’s Nutrition Task Force to weigh in with recommendations.

“The supervisor believes there is a link between junk food containing sugar and preservatives and poor behavior,” said Jean Huston-Walker, Antonovich’s justice deputy.

The Sheriff’s Department, which operates the county’s nine jails, wasn’t so sure.

“I’ve never seen an inmate disturbance that was caused by a bad diet,” said Cmdr. Chuck Jackson, who oversees the correctional services division.

“You and I have the ability to go down to the 7-Eleven and buy ice cream or a candy bar, but these folks don’t. They’re stuck with what we serve as jail food. They’re serving a lot of time while they’re waiting to go to trial, so what’s the harm?”

Plenty, the task force said. Appointed by the Board of Supervisors to set nutritional guidelines for all county institutions, the group rejected almost every item on the proposed four-page menu. Cherry Coke, Powerade, Fritos, Klondike bars and Chips Ahoy cookies all got the thumbs down. Even chicken-flavored Ramen was branded “unhealthful.” Only two snacks made the nutritional cut: trail mix and water.

“We recommended that they sell healthy things, or not sell anything at all,” said task force chairwoman Barbara Boone, a certified nutritionist. “The world is becoming addicted to sugar, and I don’t think we should feed into that. When people eat too much sugar, it tends to make people more hyperactive and quarrelsome.”

Junk food also contributes to obesity and other health problems. With childhood obesity on the rise, some school districts have started taking a closer look at what’s in their vending machines.

Two Orange County districts, Newport-Mesa Unified and Capistrano Unified, removed junk food and sodas from their machines last year. California’s largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, will ban soda sales in schools next January.

Behind bars, the situation gets even stickier. Unlike schools, jails must consider security matters when it comes to stocking their vending machines -- like whether packaging could be fashioned into weapons or how fruit could be used to whip up a batch of bootleg liquor.

The machines, which use debit cards rather than change, generate nearly $7 million a year, Jackson said. The Sheriff’s Department gets a cut of the money -- about $1.4 million annually -- to help pay for televisions, sports equipment and computer classes for its 20,000 inmates.

The jailhouse machines offer a wide array of junk food, but no drinks. When the last vending contract expired, the Sheriff’s Department sought bids for a new one that would last up to five years, this time allowing sodas and other beverages.

But so far, the deal has gone through more twists than a Cheeto. First, a vendor who didn’t get the contract complained about the bidding process. Then Antonovich raised the nutrition flag. As those concerns were being ironed out, another lawmaker questioned the winning vendor’s legal record, which involved some minor personnel disputes, Jackson said.

All told, the supervisors have delayed their approval for two months. The contract is due back before the board today -- this time with a fresh list of acceptable munchies added to the mix. The new choices include sunflower kernels and chunk-light tuna, peanuts, pretzels, instant rice and oatmeal.

Inmates will still have their pick of cheddar-flavored Ruffles, Milky Ways and the like. But should they develop a craving for more wholesome chow, they can go granola with a swipe of a debit card.