Valley Services, Inc. has been awarded a three-year f/s operation and management contract with the Mississippi Dept. of Corrections (MDOC), one of the largest corrections contracts in the nation. As of July 1, Valley will supply approx. 33,000 meals per day to approx. 11,800 inmates in three facilities throughout the state. Locations include: Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, and South Miss. Correctional Institution in Leakesville.
The Jackson, MS–based contractor is no stranger to the task since it held the contract (with renewals) from 1989 to 1999.
In addition to serving the three prison facilities, Valley will ship and deliver food and kitchen supplies every two weeks to MDOC's 17 community work centers and four restitution centers throughout the state. It only produces meals at the three state facilities, according to Scott Ball, sr. v.p. of sales and marketing.
"MDOC purchases and/or grows all food used. Our role is to produce the meals and supervise the inmate labor. Under terms of the contract, all f/s employees are on Valley's payroll including a dietitian assigned strictly to this contract, a dedicated d.m., plus trained f/s managers, staff and drivers for delivery vehicles," he explains.