Why You Should Email: Nearly 2 million people are incarcerated in the United States. For over 400,000 of them held in state prisons across 17 states, and tens of thousands more held in county jails, every meal comes from Aramark Correctional Services, a subsidiary of the multinational corporation Aramark. The company controls more than one third of the U.S. correctional food services market and generated $1.78 billion in correctional revenue in 2024.

A new report from the Carceral Nutrition Project and Center for Science in the Public Interest, titled “Private Food, Public Harm: Privatized Food Service in Prisons and Jails,” documents what incarcerated people, correctional officers, and independent auditors have reported for years: meals that fall far short of basic nutritional standards, chronic portion shortages, and food that is at times contaminated with maggots, rodent droppings, or metal shavings. People are routinely left hungry and forced to purchase overpriced commissary food to stave off hunger. In some cases, Aramark subsidiary Union Supply also runs these commissaries, creating a conflict of interest.

Despite documented overbilling, financial penalties, and contract violations in multiple states, Aramark’s contracts continue to be renewed. The existing accountability mechanisms are not working. Incarcerated people deserve food that is safe, nourishing, and prepared with dignity. A national coalition – including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the Carceral Nutrition Project, and Corporate Accountability – is demanding Aramark change its practices.

What You Can Do: Send a letter to Aramark’s leadership – directly to CEO John Zillmer as well as the COO and head of the Correctional Services division – and add your voice to the call for change. Whether you have loved ones incarcerated or not, this is an issue that affects all our communities.

Thank you!