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Board approves yearlong jail meal contract with Trinity amid questions about cost and security
Summary
Beaufort County approved a one-year renewable contract with Trinity Services Group to provide jail meals. Commissioners pressed the vendor and sheriff's office on cost increases (current $3.15/meal versus proposals up to $5.70 under a sliding scale), meal packaging, security and backup arrangements; vendor cited delivery vehicle and staffing costs.
The Beaufort County Board of Commissioners approved a one-year renewable contract with Trinity Services Group to provide meal services for the county jail after a detailed presentation and follow-up questions from commissioners.
Sheriff Hammonds introduced Trinity's regional vice president of sales, Steve Slay, who described the vendor's experience in regional corrections feeding and explained the proposed model: hot lunch and dinner served on disposable trays, and a refrigerated cold breakfast delivered for morning distribution. Trinity said some meal prep would occur at a partner kitchen in Craven County and be shipped to Beaufort County under an arrangement the vendor said had been coordinated with neighboring sheriffs and facilities.
Commissioners focused on price and security. One commissioner noted the county's prior vendor charged $3.15 per meal (three meals per day) and calculated that, if the county used the vendor's sliding scale for a population band (51'260 inmates), the cost would rise to $5.72 per meal. "That's a $2.50'$3.00 increase," the commissioner said, asking what extra services would justify the new cost. Trinity representatives pointed to necessary upgrades such as temperature-control packaging, a dedicated delivery vehicle (estimated at $65,000) and local staff (drivers and on-site personnel) plus ServSafe-certified supervision, special diet accommodations and on-site problem resolution.
Security and contraband were also discussed. Commissioners asked whether bringing in outside staff to work inside the jail would increase contraband risks; Trinity and the sheriff said background vetting and supervised access would be part of operations. Board members asked about backup plans if the partner kitchen withdrew; Trinity noted neighboring counties and multiple facilities on their network that could supply alternate kitchens in emergencies.
The board approved the contract by voice/hand vote. The contract term approved was one year with annual renewals possible; the meeting transcript does not show a roll-call tally. Commissioners asked staff to monitor population bands and invoicing to manage per-meal billing and to report any security issues promptly.
Next steps: sheriff's office and vendor to coordinate delivery logistics, security vetting and implementation timeline.
