The Food at Dallas County Jail Isn’t Going to Get Any Tastier, But It Could Get More Expensive

The men in hairnets and gray striped jumpsuits file into the Dallas County Jail's windowless, industrial kitchen and get to work, hosing down dishes and scooping neon-green gelatin onto yellow trays. "It's showtime," said Sgt. David Peal, who watches to make sure no fights break out. Every day, this kitchen pumps out three meals for 5,300 inmates. The detainees get around 3,000 unappetizing calories a day. The price to the taxpayer: about 97 cents a tray. Dallas County officials say that's lower than other lock-ups, where the cost can be more than $2 a meal, to meet federal and state nutrition requirements. It takes 900 inmates to cook, clean and do laundry for the jail every day. They're not paid, but they agree to do it for the slightly better food and a break from sitting in a cell.   Continue reading...