Why is Aramark in the corrections business?

Aramark proudly serves individuals who are incarcerated in the United States through both food service and commissary offerings. We believe that all people deserve healthy, nutritious meals regardless of their circumstances.

We understand and respect the passionate debate around our nation’s corrections system and its disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities. This disproportionate impact is one reason we are committed to being part of the solution to the extent we can help, whether it is through our foodservice, our nationally recognized IN2WORK program, or serving as a “second chance” employer.

What food do we serve justice-impacted individuals?

We believe strongly that everyone deserves healthy meals, and we serve quality, nutritious meals designed by registered dietitians.

We follow all local, state, and federal requirements related to menu and nutritional guidelines, as well as facility and American Correctional Association (ACA) dietary guidelines. Menus are designed by our 14-person Nutrition and Operations Support team (NOSS).

In addition to mandated health department inspections, we invite third party expert oversight (Steritech) in the facilities where we serve. Safety is a priority in all we do. In fact, our Safety division is centralized, meaning ACS safety processes are the same for every business we serve. Our food safety processes and procedures are industry leading; if issues are raised, we work to fix them quickly.

We also use this model to deliver quality products. Our centralized Supply Chain operation works with each of our businesses using many of the same brands and distributors.

Does Aramark employ incarcerated people?

Aramark does not employ incarcerated individuals. Our staff members in correctional facilities often work alongside incarcerated individuals who are designated by the facility to work in shared spaces. Correctional facilities—not Aramark—provide assignments to inmates such as landscaping, laundry, and kitchen work, as well as determine any compensation they receive.

How do we help those justice-impacted people who work with us? What is IN2WORK?

We work hard to build and implement programs that help incarcerated women and men prepare for careers and re-entry into their communities. Aramark’s vocational training program, IN2WORK (I2W), helps participants develop skills for their post-release job search.

I2W offers food and retail safety training through both classroom and hands-on-training, taking a phased approach to learning.  

• I2W Food Service program focuses on safety in the kitchen, including storing, preparing, and serving food safely. Graduates of the program earn the ServSafe Managers certification from the National Restaurant Association.
• I2W Warehousing and Supply Chain program concentrates on the daily operation of a warehouse, including safe operation of common equipment & cleanliness and sanitation. Graduates of the program earn a Certified Specialist certificate from the National Retail Federation in Warehousing, Inventory & Logistics.
• I2W Culinary program includes three progressive phases for food safety and sanitation, nutrition 101, and introduction to culinary arts. Graduates of all three phases are eligible to earn the Certified Fundamental Cook (CFC) credential from the American Culinary Federation (ACF)—a nationally recognized certification endorsed by the U.S. Department of Labor.

By offering a full suite of solutions our goal is to fulfill the need to educate, train, and encourage graduates to continue their development once they’ve been released.

Our goal is to help incarcerated individuals take control of their lives by giving them the tools, experience, certifications, and confidence they need to support themselves and their families as they transition back to life in their communities. IN2WORK has more than 20,000 graduates and has awarded more than $280,000 in scholarships to our students and their families.

 

Learn more about our I2W program here:

• IN2WORK Mission - Aramark
• Aramark’s IN2WORK and Supplier Programs Honored for Advancing Community Support - Aramark
• Aramark Launches IN2WORK Culinary Track and Digital Workforce Resources to Empower Returning Citizens - Aramark
• Aramark’s IN2WORK Job Skills Program Turns 20 - Aramark
• Mark This! Episode 38: IN2WORK Evolution - Aramark
• Mark This! Podcast: IN2WORK Graduates Speak
• Mark This! Podcast: Second Chances: IN2WORK & IN2 (the) FUTURE, Episode 2 - Aramark

Do we do anything to help post-incarceration?

Graduates of our IN2WORK program are eligible for Aramark scholarships to help them complete educational certificates and degrees. Aligning with our mission to help break the cycle of incarceration, we also support the families of our graduates by making scholarship funds available to them as well.

IN2WORK’s Workforce Development team provides continued, personalized support to students after release to help ensure long‑term employment success. Post-release graduates receive hands‑on job search assistance, including résumé and cover letter development, curated job leads, and connections to community resources and fair‑chance employers. The team actively tracks employment outcomes and conducts structured check‑ins at 3, 6, and 12 months post‑release to offer guidance, accountability, and encouragement. This ongoing follow‑up helps graduates navigate reentry, build stability, and advance along sustainable career pathways beyond incarceration.

In addition, Aramark serves as a second chance employer and encourages companies that we work with to do the same.

But what about Michigan and Mississippi?

In both of these circumstances, there were significant inaccuracies in media coverage. These inaccuracies were subsequently corrected to more closely represent our role. Below are brief overviews of each situation.

 

Mississippi

Our former work with the Mississippi Department of Corrections was focused on meal preparation, and our teams were not responsible for delivering meals to incarcerated individuals, nor were we responsible for pest control.  During our tenure in that location, we passed every health inspection as well as an audit by the American Correctional Association (ACA) and fulfilled the term of our contract with the State. [Note: The link in the body of the quote is no longer active; a PDF of the original statement is linked instead.]

Public Statement from Mississippi DOC Commissioner Burl Cain on March 3, 2021: On or about February 12, 2021, I made certain public statements relating to Aramark in connection with certain lawsuits pending against the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Specifically, in the article located at the following link: https://www.wlbt.com/2021/02/12/cain-waymdoc-commissioner-trying-right-ship-within-miss-prisons-part/, I was quoted as follows:

"Now, the other thing is, we were sued over food. We were sued over that, so now the food contractor, and they're a good contractor, but in our case, they weren't good enough because they were named in the suit, so we don't have them anymore."

I am writing to confirm and clarify that as of February 12, 2021, I am unaware that either Aramark, or any of Aramark's employees or affiliates are named as a party in any lawsuit filed against the Mississippi Department of Corrections. Additionally, Aramark's cessation of services to the Mississippi Department of Corrections was the result of Aramark not providing the lowest bid for the reconstituted food services sought by the Mississippi Department of Corrections. 

 

Michigan

The Michigan DOC said that their investigations showed that there were no sanitation issues that would have led to the pest accusations and that the reported illness amongst the justice-impacted population was not connected to food.

Public Statement from Michigan DOC on August 8, 2014: Although Aramark is responsible for its share of problems, they are not responsible for every issue that has been raised in recent months. We investigated recent allegations connecting Aramark’s services to inmate illnesses and pests. We determined none of these incidents were caused by Aramark. Despite heavy scrutiny and challenges, Aramark has served more than 20 million meals through July with great efficiency. We are pleased with the new process for tracking Aramark’s performance going forward and will work closely with the company to make sure this partnership is a success.

Foodservice and commissary are independent services, and we do not and would never compromise food quality to drive commissary purchases. We believe that everyone deserves healthy, nutritious meals, and we take that responsibility seriously. Our menus are developed with partner institutions and registered dietitians and meet all local, state, and federal requirements, as well as American Correctional Association dietary guidelines. Our focus remains on providing consistent, compliant, and nutritious meals to those we serve.

How does your commissary service work? Aren’t your prices high?

Through our management of commissaries, justice-impacted individuals can purchase hygiene products, snacks, clothing, and other approved items. It is important to us that we are transparent about costs and fees. Supply chain issues and unprecedented inflation have affected all industries, including ours.

Our size and scale allow us to work with manufacturers and suppliers to provide the best value possible to those we serve, and our software and inventory management systems help us reduce overhead costs.

We have made it a priority to keep prices steady for necessity items such as toothpaste, soap, and shampoo. For other items, we have worked with suppliers to provide more affordable options. Furthermore, justice-impacted individuals do not pay additional service fees when shopping at a commissary.

Our online iCare program purchases include a handling fee that is clearly noted for family and friends placing the order. At most of our locations, we have been able to keep any required handling fees flat for the past year, despite national economic pressures.

Why do items have to be purchased through facilities?

The items and meals we serve are pre-approved by the facilities we serve and meet their safety requirements. These requirements include no use of glass and limited metal containers, ensuring no personal hygiene products contain alcohol and preventing prohibited items from entering a facility. We offer certain electronics in see-through casings and provide appropriate substitutes for components that may be restricted by corrections policies.

How does your commissary benefit justice-impacted individuals and their families?

Any connection to a justice-impacted individual’s support system—including family and friends—ultimately leads to more positive outcomes once the individual is released. The services we offer help facilitate these connections in the corrections facilities in which we operate.  

These services keep support systems in place. Our iCare Visitation program helps people connect and share a meal together during visiting hours. Family and friends can also send gift packages and meals to justice-impacted individuals.

Maintaining the safety, security, and integrity of the facilities we serve is a top priority. Our correctional facility partners conduct extensive background checks on all Aramark Correctional Services employees, and Aramark has zero tolerance for inappropriate behavior by employees, including the introduction of contraband or improper relationships of any kind. When allegations arise, we work closely with the correctional facility and, when appropriate, law enforcement to ensure the matter is addressed immediately.

Does Aramark fund lobbyists to influence rates of incarceration, sentencing guidelines, or other means of increasing prison populations?

We do not lobby in any way to try to ensure that people are brought into or remain in the justice system in the United States. In fact, we lobby in favor of programs designed to reduce recidivism and break the cycle of incarceration. Currently, we are engaged in a campaign to raise awareness of our IN2WORK program and the positive effects it can have both during incarceration and on returning citizens’ outcomes post-incarceration.

Does Aramark have contracts to serve ICE detainees?

Aramark does not have and has never had contracts with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide food service to immigration detainees.

Ireland’s Direct Provision Centers are government-operated housing facilities for asylum seekers; they are not correctional facilities. We currently provide services to only three of the more than 30 locations within Ireland.  We are proud of our work in every case, providing the same level of service to our clients living in accommodation centers as we do to any other clients engaging our services around the world.