I am currently an inmate in Santa Rita Jail (SRJ), the County Jail for Alameda County, housed in Housing Unit (HU) 31, D pod. The food sanitation practices in this jail are very concerning. I have received dirty and stained food trays, as a result of food from previous meals sticking to the trays and cooking into the trays again and again, on many occasions. When I see a dirty food tray, I walk up to a deputy on duty and ask them to inspect the tray. When I did this to Deputies Banks and Wilt in September 2020, Deputy Wilt responded that he didn’t know what the kitchen policy was, and he did not offer me a clean tray.
When I see a dirty food tray, I walk up to a deputy on duty and ask them to inspect the tray. When I did this to Deputies Banks and Wilt in September 2020, Deputy Wilt responded that he didn’t know what the kitchen policy was, and he did not offer me a clean tray.
Also in September, I received a food tray that was cracked and broken. I showed this tray to Deputy Martinez but I was not offered a replacement tray. I have also seen trays that are not fully covered with plastic. Back in August 2020, my food sanitation concerns got even worse after I worked in the kitchen for a day. I saw stacks of trays on the ground in the scullery. I worked on the food line. I saw a tray fall onto the ground, but workers just put the trays right back on the line. I already knew we had a rodent issue in my housing unit (31) because I saw a rat run through our unit on October 14, 2020, but when I worked in the kitchen, I noticed that the kitchen clearly has a rodent problem as well. I saw rodents in the dry storage area in the kitchen. I asked an Aramark worker (Margarita) how long she had been at her job, and she responded 25 years.
I am on the Gluten Free Diet. Very frequently, the cart that all the prisoners’ food arrives in does not actually contain my proper diet tray, causing me to often miss meals. Starting in January 2020, I started documenting all the meals that the jail failed to provide me with. I even wrote a grievance on March 15, 2020 stating that in the previous 60 days, I had missed meals over 20 times. In March, I started tracking the deputies on duty when I was denied my meals so that they could verify that this happened.
I am on the Gluten Free Diet. Very frequently, the cart that all the prisoners’ food arrives in does not actually contain my proper diet tray, causing me to often miss meals. Starting in January 2020, I started documenting all the meals that the jail failed to provide me with. I even wrote a grievance on March 15, 2020 stating that in the previous 60 days, I had missed meals over 20 times.
In March, I did not receive 13 meals, and for those 13 missed meals, I did not eat. On March 1st, I had an attorney visit and was left in an ISO cell for two hours. I received no lunch. Deputy Straight was on duty. On March 2nd, I received no lunch – Deputy Straight was on duty. On March 4th, I received no food at all (no breakfast, lunch, or dinner). This is because I went to court and my diet tray was not provided at court. On March 7th, I received no dinner – Deputy Martinez was on duty. On March 15th, I received no breakfast – Deputy Maruza was on duty. On March 23rd, I received no breakfast – Deputy Maruza was on duty. On March 26th, I received no lunch – Deputy Lopez was on duty. On March 30th, I received no breakfast and no lunch – Deputy Galvez was on duty. On March 31st, I received no breakfast and no lunch – Deputy Corks was on duty. In April, I missed 22 meals, and for those 22 missed meals, I did not eat. On April 4th, I received no breakfast – Deputy Banks was on duty. On April 7th, I received no lunch – Deputy Maruza was on duty. On April 8th, I received no breakfast and no lunch – Deputy Straight was on duty. On April 9th, I received no breakfast and no lunch – Deputy Straight was on duty. On April 12th, I received no breakfast – Deputy Simian was on duty. On April 13th, I received no breakfast – Deputy Simian was on duty. On April 14th, I received no breakfast – Deputy Simian was on duty. On April 16th, I received no lunch – Deputy Snieder was on duty. On April 17th, I received no breakfast and no dinner – Deputy Grant was on duty. On April 18th, I received no breakfast – Deputy Banks was on duty. On April 24th, I received no breakfast and no lunch – Deputies Simian and Straight were on duty respectively. On April 27th, I received no food at all (no breakfast, lunch, or dinner) – Deputy Simian was on duty for breakfast and Deputy Tambrar was on duty for lunch and dinner. On April 28th, I received no dinner – Deputy Mumbower was on duty. On April 30th, I received no breakfast – Deputy Delgado was on duty.
In June, I missed 22 meals. In July, I missed 14 meals. Despite me submitting that grievance regarding missed meals back in mid-March 2020, the jail still often does not provide me with my meals, and does not provide me with replacement gluten free meals when my meal is missing.
In June, I missed 22 meals. In July, I missed 14 meals. Despite me submitting that grievance regarding missed meals back in mid-March 2020, the jail still often does not provide me with my meals, and does not provide me with replacement gluten free meals when my meal is missing.
Even when I do receive my food tray, the meal portions are extremely small and the foods I receive often don’t match what the menu says I should be receiving. As one example, last year, on November 23, 2019, I submitted a grievance stating that my dinner consisted of a quarter cup of beans, a red “sauce” with no meat in it, two pieces of bread, some leaves of lettuce, and a pack of dressing. My portions have stayed consistently skimpy. The turkey patties we receive (which are usually the only protein element in the dinner and breakfasts) are the size of a dollar pancake. In addition to this small patty, for breakfast, we usually only receive oatmeal and potato wedges or sometimes gravy and sliced potatoes.
I asked Tran, the Jail dietician if he meets with Aramark to ensure that the meals are meeting his specifications as to the proper diet we should be receiving. Tran said that he does not. In response to my diet concerns, Tran just said I could switch back to the general diet.
For dinners, when we receive chicken, the chicken portion can’t be more than a quarter cup. As an example of the discrepancy between the Aramark menu and the food I actually receive, on October 15, 2020, a meat patty was on the menu but instead, we received a sloppy joe. I never know when I am going to actually receive my meal, and even when I do receive my meal, I never know what I am going to get. I asked Tran, the Jail dietician if he meets with Aramark to ensure that the meals are meeting his specifications as to the proper diet we should be receiving. Tran said that he does not. In response to my diet concerns, Tran just said I could switch back to the general diet. I am constantly hungry after my meals in the jail, even when I do actually receive my meals. On October 17, 2019, I weighed in at 210 pounds when I was booked at Santa Rita. I was weighed on April 4, 2020 and weighed 185 pounds. I lost 25 pounds during just those four and a half months.