In order to understand the most pressing needs of Corrections professionals today, the American Correctional Association conducted a broad-based research study funded by an unrestricted educational grant from ARAMARK. The study was conducted by independent research firms across the U.S. who solicited feedback from Corrections professionals representing county, city and state correctional organizations.

The research included 25 face-to-face interviews combined with 205 written survey responses from 41 states.

The issues were not a surprise to ARAMARK Correctional Services, and they won’t be a surprise to you. However, the ranking of importance may surprise you. Here are the top 10 issues in Corrections today based on this extensive research:

1. Correctional Officer Recruitment, Retention, and Morale
2. Security and Custody
3. Inmate Behavior
4. Mentally-ill Inmates
5. Budget Pressures
6. Medical Costs
7. Facility Maintenance
8. Rehabilitation and Re-entry
9. Litigation and Legal Issues
10. Negative Perception of Corrections

Because every Corrections organization is unique, your issues may not be exactly the same as the national averages. And if they are the same issues, they are likely to change over time. These results underscore our belief that if a vendor wants to be a true partner, they must provide more than a basic service to their client. As a partner we aspire to provide solutions to the issues that keep you up at night. That’s our goal.

We created programs that can help relieve some of the pressure from these Top 10 issues. The following are just a few examples of these problem solving programs:

• Security and Litigation –Meals that arrive on time, as planned and served at the right temperature are critical to inmate behavior, and maintaining security and custody. ARAMARK’s proprietary OP-X™ program ensures the meal is served as planned and according to the standards set by your facility and the American Correctional Association. Disciplined processes and documentation provided by OP-X™ ensure meal production continuity, timely delivery under any circumstances, and safe food-handling procedures. All of which minimizes food related disruptions and potential litigation.
• Correctional Officer Morale and Inmate Behavior – ARAMARK has created tools like FreshFavorites™ to give officers another way to manage inmate behavior. Our Getaway Café staff dining room concept provides an officer the opportunity to decompress during a shift with restaurant quality meals and snacks served in a stress-free environment.
• Rehabilitation, Re-entry, and Budget – Funding gets tighter each year. Too often cuts are targeted at programs designed to train and rehabilitate inmates. ARAMARK understands what it takes to be qualified for a career in food service. We can create a classroom and on-the-job training program called IN2WORK™ in any facility. Graduates of all three levels can earn certificates of completion from ARAMARK and the National Restaurant Association that will qualify an individual for food service work on the outside.