FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News from Progress Michigan
September 25, 2014
Contact: Sam Inglot, 616-916-0574, sam@progressmichigan.org
Will Lawmakers Support Resolution to End Aramark Contract?
Sex acts, drugs and alleged murder plots plague privatized contract
MICHIGAN — In light of recent allegations that an Aramark employee approached an inmate at Michigan prison to solicit a murder for hire, Progress Michigan is calling on all state lawmakers with a prison in their district to disavow the privatization of food services in Michigan’s prisons and urge Gov. Rick Snyder to end the contract.
“Enough is enough,” said Lonnie Scott, executive director of Progress Michigan. “Aramark employees have been caught in sex acts with prisoners, smuggling drugs into prisons and now one of them has allegedly engaged in a murder plot. It’s time state lawmakers with prisons in their districts stood up against Aramark before one of their constituents are hurt or worse. Elected officials must demand that Gov. Snyder cancel the state’s contract with Aramark immediately.”
Privatizing prison food services to the out-of-state corporation has been a disaster under Gov. Snyder’s watch: Maggots have been found in and near the food. There have been improper relations between Aramark employees and prisoners. Food shortages and unapproved menu changes have occurred. Drugs and tobacco have been smuggled into a prison. And the latest, an Aramark employee approached a prisoner about killing another prisoner.
More than 90 Aramark employees have been banned from working in state prisons because of violations on the job. That is nearly a third of the workforce the State of Michigan fired when Aramark was brought in to handle food service in Michigan prisons.
Recently, Progress Michigan released documents that were obtained through the Freedom of Information Act that revealed the Snyder administration quietly pushed the head of the Michigan Department of Corrections to cancel a $98,000 fine against Aramark. The fine cancellation was never disclosed to the public, the media and even some lawmakers and was intended to correct Aramark for numerous contractual violations.
A resolution was introduced yesterday in the House that urges Gov. Snyder to cancel the contract. Progress Michigan is calling on lawmakers to put their support behind the resolution.
“Gov. Snyder needs to do what he should have done a long time ago and cancel the contract,” Scott continued. “And it’s time lawmakers do what they can to end this contract if the Governor won’t act.”
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