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Youth offender menus revised to adult standards; DOC says medical exemptions and reviews are in place
Summary
CDOC said it reduced YOS caloric targets after a 2019 review aligning menus with USDA guidelines for an older average YOS population; department officials said individual clinical exceptions and supplemental snacks are available and a review of caloric policy will be issued this month.
The Department of Corrections told the Joint Budget Committee it realigned Youth Offender Services (YOS) menus to adult-calorie guidance after the YOS population aged and that clinical processes exist for individual needs.
"The department initiated a review in 2019 to proactively align YOS menus with the USDA dietary guidelines for Americans," Lacey Munday, director of clinical services, said. She told the committee that by July 1, 2024, the YOS menus reached target levels based on the USDA moderately active standards for the 19–25 age group and that the department chose 2,700 calories for males as a midpoint between sedentary and moderately active levels in a correctional environment.
Committee members pressed whether younger people remain in custody and how individual needs are served. Munday and Director Stansell clarified that most YOS residents are young adults (the department reported three 17‑year‑olds at the time of the hearing) and that the change did not affect the broader DOC population. Munday said the system does not use a one-size-fits-all approach: clinical providers may refer residents to a dietitian for individualized assessments and the system can provide supplemental caloric snacks or modify trays for medical needs.
Lawmakers questioned how often clinicians review residents and whether requests by individuals who say they are still hungry are handled promptly. DOC officials said security and meal-preparation logistics limit immediate ad-hoc second-helpings and that clinical referrals via the facility kite/request system are the path to longer-term adjustments; they added that canteen access and other immediate supplementation can be made available while medical review proceeds.
Munday said the department will complete an internal review of YOS caloric policy this month and incorporate updated USDA guidelines for 2025–2030, and that any increase in caloric targets would require additional funding.
The committee requested a written summary of the clinical exceptions process and data on the number of residents receiving supplemental calories.
