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| Idaho Crew Takes Pride in Prison Food |
| By Idaho Statesman |
| Published: 09/30/2002 |
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A. Chan says it´s not a good idea to get personal with co-workers in his kitchen. He addresses all of his employees by their last names only. Maintaining order and professionalism are crucial in Chan´s operation, which feeds about 300 people each meal. But, as Chan points out, few other kitchen managers have to train in firearms, self-defense, first aid, CPR, cell searches and body searches. Chan, one of three food service officers at the Pocatello Women´s Correctional Institute, said teaching inmates the culinary arts is nothing like his former job managing the kitchen at the Marriott in Salt Lake City. Although the chef has to keep a close eye on his workers and keep even his spices under lock and key, he says he prefers working at the prison. 'What I like about this job is you can teach other inmates a necessity skill so they can actually hold a job in the community,' Chan said while his crew prepared noodles stroganoff for dinner. Security at the prison´s kitchen is strong - knives are chained to counters, personal searches are performed after each shift and workers must leave ID cards and sign for sharp objects and equipment. Employees say the security, however, is no different than anywhere else in the prison. Plus, working in the kitchen keeps them busy and gives them a chance to make a little cash. They work 40-hour weeks and earn between $25 and $45 a month for their efforts. 'I love it here,' said Michelle Alvarez as she washed chicken for dinner. 'I learned how to cook here. When I got out the first time, I got a job from what I learned here.' Alvarez returned to prison on forgery charges and says she has 18 months left to serve. Alvarez is volunteering in the kitchen. There is a waiting list to join the eight-member crew, and she hopes to fill an opening soon. Debra Piper, the food services supervisor, says she makes sure prison kitchen jobs are just like real jobs so the inmates will learn to be responsible. Workers are not allowed to skip a shift without a doctor´s excuse, and Piper has no reservations about firing them when they fail to live up to their responsibilities. But Piper, who has worked 20 years in all types of food service businesses, said the prisoners are the best workers she has encountered. 'There´s nothing like corrections,' Piper said. 'For one thing, the people we work with have a thirst to learn, and they want to come to work. It´s refreshing.' Each crew has one cook who prepares the main dish. The cook for the dinner shift, Nikki Summerlin, said she plans on attending culinary arts school in Scottsdale, Ariz., upon her release. She said she is up for parole on drug charges in nine months. 'Mr. Chan has really taught me a lot of tricks. He´s just brilliant,' Summerlin said as she diced onions. 'I still have a lot of room to take pride in my food.' For a recent meal, Summerlin made enough sauce to feed the entire prison. She dumped 4 pounds of margarine into a 60-gallon steam kettle. She mixed 6 gallons of powdered milk, which she poured into the kettle and stirred. 'This is a workout,' she said while she stirred the soupy mixture with a giant whisk. She then poured in 5 quarts of chopped onions and added a bit more hot water. After she added the spices, she let it simmer at 165 degrees. 'Given the circumstances and the mistakes I´ve made, it´s kind of nice to know something I do is beneficial to the whole place,' Summerlin said. |
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