County inmates getting food delivered

Prime Sirloin preps meals amid virus outbreak at jail

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- Blair County has started depending on the operators of Prime Sirloin restaurant to prepare food for county prison inmates.

Commissioners on Tuesday authorized the arrangement that developed last week in response to the increasing amount of inmates testing positive for COVID-19.

A week ago, the county said that 43 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19, with additional results pending because Prime Care Medical was in the process of testing all inmates.

As of Tuesday, 129 of the prison's 230 inmates had tested positive, Warden Abbie Tate said.

Prime Care Medical, the company that provides inmate medical care at the county facility, is now administering COVID-19 tests to newly arriving inmates.

At Tuesday's weekly commissioners meeting, County Administrator Nicole Hemminger said she started last week to look for an outside contractor to handle the prison's meal preparations.

The housing block for inmates who work in the kitchen was one of the first areas where inmates developed COVID-19 symptoms, Hemminger said.

Prime Sirloin, located between Hollidaysburg and Duncansville, has a large facility capable of bulk meal preparation and the ability to follow the prison's menu, Hemminger said. Its service went into effect with preparation of Friday night's dinner.

While Prime Sirloin is preparing the food, the prison is providing the ingredients, the warden said. After Prime Sirloin transports the food to the prison, Tate said her staff prepares meal trays to distribute to the inmates.

The cost of the arrangement with Prime Sirloin, as approved by commissioners, will range from $1,625 to $2,000 daily, based on 250 servings and the selected breakfast.

A breakfast with hot food will cost $2.50 per serving as opposed to a simple breakfast at $1 per serving. The county will pay $2.50 per lunch and $3 per dinner.

Commissioners Bruce Erb, Amy Webster and Laura Burke approved the contract on Tuesday after hearing Nathan Karn explain that it offers no specifics on how long the arrangement will continue.

The proposed contract, Karn said, can be approved under the county's emergency declaration issued earlier this year. That declaration allows commissioners to proceed with select actions to address conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

If commissioners want to permanently consider use of an outside vendor to prepare inmate food, then Karn said he would recommend the county seek competitive bids.

Inmates at the county prison have a long history of working in the facility's kitchen, where they help with food preparation, serving and cleanup. While the county hired a prison kitchen manager earlier this year, that manager recently resigned after getting another job.