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DuPage committee renews jail food contract and approves 4% meal price increase
Summary
The committee approved a one‑year renewal with Trinity Services Group for jail food service and a resolution raising the per‑meal contract rate from $2.23 to $2.32. Members questioned the timing of the renewal and asked for future population trend reports.
The DuPage County Judicial and Public Safety Committee approved a second of three option renewals with Trinity Services Group Inc. to provide food service for inmates and officers in the DuPage County Jail for the period June 1, 2025, through May 31, 2026, for a contract total of $1,526,156.25. The committee also approved an amendment raising the contracted meal rate from $2.23 to $2.32 per meal.
Member Krayjewski criticized the timing of the contract renewal because the vendor's signed renewal took effect before committee approval: “You know, I don't like voting on contracts that start already. You know, this thing started on Sunday, and it was the second of a 3 year option. So I'm not sure why it comes after the fact,” Krayjewski said. The county procurement representative and staff explained the vendor delayed returning the signed renewal and procurement attempted to place the item on the previous meeting's agenda but missed the cutoff.
Member Desart asked whether the contract amount was higher or lower than prior years given changes resulting from the county's safety act and fluctuations in jail population. Sheriff’s Office staff said population dropped initially after the safety act but has steadily increased and “has almost averaged out to where we were,” meaning population levels are similar to pre‑safety act averages.
Krayjewski suggested the county should consider re‑bidding if vendors cannot return signed renewals in a timely manner. County staff said sending the contract again to bid could have delayed the continuity of service for the jail.
Member Krayjewski also requested a future report on the number of people failing to appear for court dates and the operational impacts of chasing those defendants, and staff said they would coordinate with the circuit court clerk to obtain relevant statistics.
The committee approved the contract renewal and the resolution to increase the per‑meal rate. No roll‑call vote counts were recorded in the transcript; the chair announced the motions carried.
The committee discussion included concerns about procurement timing, vendor responsiveness and the operational drivers of food costs including volume and a stated 3.8% food price increase cited by jail staff.
