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Welcome to the EuroPris Knowledge Management System. The table below shows questions and responses from European National Agencies. Select a question for more information or use the filters on the left to narrow down questions based on Agency or Category.
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Introduction: The Directorate General of Prison Services in Catalonia is updating its regulations concerning meals including the preparation, distribution of food and tools given to prisoners. To that end, the DGPS would be very much interested in having a broader picture of how these aspects are being dealt with in different jurisdictions. At present in Catalonia, there is a kitchen in every prison establishment and these are being run by an independent public agency called CIRE. The meals are prepared by prisoners under the supervision of a professional cook who is hired by CIRE. There is a dining room in every prison unit where prisoners have breakfast, lunch and dinner. These are being taken care of by the prisoners themselves who are organised in shifts in order to serve the food, clean up the dining room and collect the utensils after every meal. In most of the prisons, meals are served in metallic trays and prisoners are provided with a cup and cutlery (including a knife, a spoon, and a fork) which are made of polypropylene.
Prisoners have breakfast, lunch and dinner in their cell.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?When a prisoner arrive in prison, he or she receives a set of utensils to be able to take his or her meals (fork, spoon, round knife, glass, plate ...). these utensils can be metal. They can keep this table cutlery in the cell. There’s an exception for special detention : the disciplinary district : in disciplinary cell, they have only plastic fork, plastic plate etc.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?The distribution of the meal is carried out cell by cell : a worker prisoner (or 2) accompanied by a guard who open each door and supervise the workers prisoners. The guard ensures safety during distribution and ensure equitable distribution of meals.
In our prisons for adults we don’t have dining rooms. Inmates eat their meals in their cells.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?They’ve all they need in their cells, utensils like a coffemachine and a microwave and cutlery. It’s standard inventory. The cutlery is made of stainless steel.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?The distribution and preperation of food varies between institutions. In some institutions hot meals are distributed. In others the meals are served deepfrozen. Inmates are able to heat their meals in the microwave. In three prisons the meal is cooked in a central kitchen and is served shortly after preparation. In a few prisons the inmates receive food packages instead of microwave meals. They choose the ingredients and cooke their own meal. In the juvenile prisons the inmates eat together in their own department. Gards check the inventory on a daily basis.
There is a mixture of approaches to dining across our estate. In some of our older establishments there are still communal dining rooms. However, in our newer establishments, those in custody have the choice to either eat in their cells or in small scale communal dining areas within the recreational areas of each hall.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?Those in custody are served meals on plastic plates and used plastic cutlery – specification in the table below: Item No. Item Specification 1 Dinner Knife − 165 mm, polycarbonate and dishwasher safe 2 Dinner Fork − 165 mm, polycarbonate and dishwasher safe 3 Desert Spoon − 165 mm, polycarbonate and dishwasher safe 4 Teaspoon − 115 mm, polycarbonate and dishwasher safe − 21 cm diameter; 5 Plate − polycarbonate; and − able to accept being reheated in a microwave − 15 cm diameter; 6 Desert Bowl − polycarbonate; and − able to accept being reheated in a microwave − 28 cl; 7 Beaker, with handle − polycarbonate; and − able to accept being reheated in a microwave
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?All meals are made in central kitchens and transported to residential areas in a heated trolley. Meals are distributed by ‘passmen’ supervised by operational staff. At the end of meals, plates and cutlery are collected by staff and then washed in dishwashers by ‘passmen’.
Prisoners have breakfast, lunch and dinner either in their cells or in the common dining hall. Whether the prisoner will be eating in their cell or in the dining hall depends on the level of the sentence serving regime. Prisoners in the lowest level of the sentence serving regime will have their meal in their cell, while other prisoners – together in the dining hall. The dining halls in Latvian imprisonment places have various capacity, but all are large enough – i.e. they are intended for a larger number of prisoners than the current, as the number of prisoners have been substantially reduced during the last few years, but the capacity of the dining halls has remained the same.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?Prisoners are issued two metal bowls, a spoon and metal or plastic cup. In some imprisonment places plastic trays are also used. In addition, prisoners are allowed to use their own personal dishes. In Olaine prison (Latvian Prison Hospital) Addiction centre they use ceramic dishes.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?The food is distributed by the prisoners who work as kitchen staff. Cutlery is issued to every prisoner upon their arrival at the imprisonment place. Dining hall is cleaned by the prisoners working in the facility management. An officer of the Supervision Department monitors the dining process and dining hall cleaning. An officer of the Supervision Department also monitors the food distribution process to prisoners eating in their cells. Prisoners wash their own dishes.
Pre-trial detainees and inmates held in remand prisons, central prison hospital and disciplinary isolation of a correction house have breakfast, lunch and dinner in their cells. In correction houses inmates have meals at the dining room. Seating capacity varies from 100 to 300 places depending on a correction house.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?Inmates are handed in a tray, a soup bowl, a plate, one or two cups, a spoon.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?Food is served on a tray through a window over a counter, afterwards dishes and cutlery are put into special containers. Dishes and cutlery are washed in a dishwasher, dining room and tables are cleaned by inmates on duty, supervised by prison guards present during meal time.
According to the provisions of the art. 113 of the Regulation implementing the provisions of Law no. 254/2013, approved by Government Decision no. 157/2016, the administration of the prison shall provide the inmates, 3 times a day, with varied, qualitative and quantitative food, in accordance with the age, health status and nature of the work performed, in compliance with the religious belief assumed by them, as the case may be, on the occasion of placement in the prison or freely consented and proven free accession to other denominations recognised by the Romanian state during the punishment execution period time. For sick inmates, the number of meals and diet recommended by the prison doctor shall be ensured under the terms of the order of the minister of justice provided for in art. 50 para. (3) of the above Law. Pregnant or nursing inmates, as well as children who remain with them mother until they are placed in the family environment or specialised protection institutions, shall be provided with adequate nutrition, on the recommendation of the prison doctor. The prison administration shall provide conditions for serving food, as a rule, in dining rooms, as well as the necessary endowment for the preparation, distribution and serving of food, according to the rules laid down by the Ministry of Health. Food preparation shall be made under the control and supervision of the prison specialised staff. The medical staff shall be required to verify daily the manner of compliance with the conditions of preparation, distribution and serving of food, and the quality thereof and shall immediately inform the prison director on the shortcomings found, in order to take the necessary measures. According to art. 4 of the order of the minister for justice no. 2772/2017 for the approval of the minimum mandatory rules on the conditions of accommodation of inmates, the accommodation rooms are equipped with furniture, so as to provide persons deprived of liberty conditions for sleeping, keeping personal belongings and items, serving meals if it is not possible in specially endowed dining rooms, as well as for carrying out educational activities. To the possible extent, in compliance with the necessary measures for the safety of prisons, the prisons may provide meals for the inmates in specially endowed dining rooms. The serving of meals by the inmates is performed predominantly in the rooms, but there are also around 80 dining rooms around the prison system, where can eat about 3500 inmates/shift.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?By the Annex no.1 (concerning goods which may be received, purchased and used by the inmates) to the regulation implementing the provisions of Law no. 254/2013, approved by Government Decision no. 157/2016 are established the following goods which may be retained and used by the inmates: - plates/bowls of metal/plastic with a diameter not exceeding 25 cm (two pieces); - spoon, fork, tea spoon (one piece); - cup and glass of metal/plastic with a capacity of not more than 300 ml (one piece). For the serving of food, the prison units are equipped with stainless steel crockery: cups, bowls and spoons, but the most of the inmates prefer to use their own crockery, which is generally made of plastic cups or porcelain, plastic bowls and stainless steel spoons. The preparation of food for inmates is carried out in specially appointed premises called food blocks, which are equipped with specific machinery and tools, stainless steel pots, potato and vegetable cleaners, refrigeration equipment, hobs, as well as and pans and stainless steel pots of different capacities.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?The actual preparation of food for each food regime is coordinated by qualified personnel (chefs) or where there are no skilled chefs, by the responsible staff for food blocks. We specify that in preparation operations (cleaning and portioning of food, cleaning and washing of crockery) and actual preparation of the daily menus also participate specially selected inmates. Prepared food is placed in stainless steel containers of 5l, 10l or 25l, which are transported to the sections, where the designated personnel or inmates adequately equipped, distribute it to all the inmates in each room and depending on the category they belong to.
In Swedish Prison and Probation Service, most inmates have the opportunity to prepare themselves and take their breakfast in the department where they live. This happens in such cases in a shared departmental kitchen. When it comes to lunch and dinner, there are three different options. The first and most common is that the food is delivered hot to the department where it is taken by the inmates. The second is that the inmates themselves prepare, cook and eat all meals in the department. The third is that inmates go to a dining room for lunch and dinner. The number of seats inside the compartment is adapted to the size of the department most commonly being 8-12 seats. The number of seats in a common dining room depends on the size of the facility. The most common is between 20 -50 places.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?When it comes to the equipment and kitchen utensils that are available in the departments, it never leaves the department. The inmates manage the department's equipment. Checking and counting takes place in connection with visitation performed by staff. Plates, cups, glasses and cutlery inside the compartments are made of plastic. In the common institutional room, equipment and tools are managed by kitchen staff. In the dining room, cutlery made of metal and plates of porcelain can occur.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?In the dining room common to a whole institution, kitchen staff are responsible for the distribution of food, collection of dishes etc. In a department, the inmates themselves handle these tasks. Department staffs are supervised.
It varies between prisons, whether it is an open prison or a closed prison for example. Different meals are usually eaten in common dining rooms together especially in open prisons. In closed prisons meals are eaten many times in prison units common kitchen area or in a larger common dining room, where dining times are in shifts. Dining rooms seating capacity varies from approximately from 20 seats to almost a 100 seating places, depending of the prison. Breakfasts are in some prisons made by inmates themselves in their units. If an inmate is in solitary confinement, meals are always eaten in their cells. In some open prisons the inmates are taking care of all their meals themselves and self service is widely incouraged.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?Inmates can use trays (made of plastic), plates (plastic), glasses (made of glass) and cutlery that includes forks, knives and spoons. Cutlery is made of stainless steel. In solitary confinement and if inmates eat in their own units, they have to use disposable cutlery for safety reasons.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?Food is usually forwarded if eaten in prisons units, by guards and certain inmates. In units it’s been distributed by guards. If eaten in larger common dining room, food is been distributed by kitchen staff or inmates take food themselves. Inmates who are allowed to work in prisons kitchen, clean up the common dining rooms and do the dishes. Cutlery in not re-counted, guards superwise returning the dishes and cutlery and make sure that everything is been returned. It is very rare that something goes missing. All in all, distribution and eating of the food and returning the dishes is always supervised by guards and certain inmates are allowed to help in assisting tasks. In some units the meals are also delivered from outside on trays.
Pre-trial detainees have standardly ensured the provision of breakfast, lunch and dinner in their cells. Convicts have ensured breakfast, lunch and dinner according to the guarding level in common dining rooms/ cells/ dining rooms established in the corridors of the individual units. Seating capacity of the dining rooms is dependent on the capacity of the particular prison and structure of inmates. Seating capacity of common dining rooms is in the range of 20 to 300 seats. However, it can be concluded that an average dining room has capacity of 40 seats in smaller prisons and 120 seats in bigger prisons. Convicts working at workplaces outside the prisons have provided meals in the designated premises at the workplace.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?The cutlery used in all prisons is made of metal from anticorrosive steel. If the Prison Governor of particular prison decides otherwise, pre-trial detainees have a spoon and convicts have cutlery (spoon, fork, knife) that are assigned to them by particular prison. Serving utensils (mess-tin, bowl, plate, cup) and trays are in most cases made from plastic and anticorrosive steel. Porcelain and glass are used only in prisons with a minimum guarding level or in open units of the prisons.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?Meals are served to inmates placed in cells through window in the door cell. These meals are portioned in plastic canisters or are portioned in advance in serving boxes from the thermo boxes placed on a transport serving cart to convicts serving food, which are classified as assistants in the kitchen. The used plastic canisters and utensils are usually collected and cleaned in a scullery in the prison kitchen after consumption of meals. The convicts eating in the common dining room, after entrance to the dining room, shall take a tray on which they shall place the received meal that is given on the basis of their meal card indicating the type of diet. Meals are served in the dining room to convicts by a food distributor under the supervision of a specific prison officer. The convicts shall hand over the used tableware (utensils) in the scullery where convicts are included for execution of cleaning and tidying works within the internal operation of prison. After consumption of meal, convicts shall keep their assigned cutlery and clean it in the designated premises (usually sink with flowing hot water placed in front of the dining room). The cleanness of the dining room and dining tables shall be ensured by the designated convicts after each serving of food. Prison officer shall supervise over the cleaning of dining room. During preparation, transport and distribution of food in units and at workplaces, there shall be ensured the permanent guarding by the prison staff.
There is a mixture of dining styles. Due to the nature of the layout of most prisons, the design does not allow for communal dining as much as we would like that to happen. At most establishments prisoners collect their meals from wing servery units and eat them in their cells. Some prisons do have communal dining on wings and seating capacity varies with the size of prison. There are also a few central servery facilities where all of the prisoners sit down in a dining area at the kitchen with their meals.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?Most prisons issue plastic cutlery and plates to the prisoners who have to look after them in their cells, which includes in some instances washing them after use. There are exceptions depending on the regime and facilities where prisoners collect the cutlery and plates at the hotplate and hand them back after the meal. This is usually at the central dining facilities in smaller establishments.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?Depending on the dining facility there are a mainly two ways of distributing the food. In most establishment where prisoners stay on the wings, the meals are collected from the kitchen in heated mobile trollies by prisoners under supervision by wing staff. The meals are then placed onto servery units by prisoners and served – again by prisoners working as servery workers and supervised by wing staff. Where cutlery and plates are kept at the kitchen it will be up to the establishment locally to organise the security of the utensils.
Prisoners eat their meals in their cells. In some institutions with sections that have an open-door regime or a communal regime, the prisoners also have the possibility to dine together in a multipurpose room. In some institutions, the sections are equipped with small kitchens, where the prisoners can cook and dine together in small groups.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?Except for security measures (inmates then receive plastic cutlery), prisoners have their dishes and cutlery in cell. It is their responsibility to look after them.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?The food is prepared by inmates under the supervision of kitchen technicians. As a general rule, distribution is made by inmates serving using heated trolleys. In the morning coffee and hot water, hot meal at noon, in the evening bread with garnish. Breakfast bread is distributed at the same time as the evening meal. The distribution trolleys are brought back to the kitchen where they are cleaned (under the supervision of the kitchen technician) by the inmates. There will soon be a self-service block in St Hubert (semi-open area) where inmates will be able to pick up their own hot meals.
In general, the inmates have breakfast, lunch and dinner in their cells. When the cells are open they have either the possibility to eat in the kitchen if they want to. Each station has one separate kitchen, which is like a big common room and equipped with cookware (pots, pans, bowls etc.) so the prisoners can also use it for cooking if they bought own food. This option is actually used very often by inmates to enhance the variety of their meals and also encourages social interactions. Breakfast and dinner are common for every prisoner, there´s only a difference at lunch for those who work. They have lunch in a common dining room at work together with other inmates. The seating capacity of those rooms depends on the size of the working area and the number of jobs for inmates in every prison but is always well calculated so that everyone gets a seat.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?The equipment of every inmate at the beginning of the imprisonment contains cutlery including a knife, a spoon and a fork, which are made of steel. They have to use it for every meal and clean it by themselves. Unless it doesn´t get destroyed, they´ll keep it until the end of the imprisonment. The meal itself is always on a plate, made of porcelain and handed on a tablet, covered with a lid, which is made of polypropylene. Inmates with a risk of self-harm or generic danger are only handed cutlery made of plastic and food in aluminium food containers to reduce the risk of injury for the staff and also the prisoner him- or herself. The cutlery then gets collected after every meal.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?Each prison has one big kitchen, where inmates work under control of qualified staff, preparing meals for the whole prison and always providing high hygienic requirements. For a good structure each prison is divided into different parts with cells and in each part works a prisoner, who is responsible for this area. This includes cleaning the corridor and the kitchen/common room (in German called “Hausarbeiter”). Furthermore he or she is the one who hands out the meals together with the staff, so there´s always someone controlling this process and at the same time looking for the inmates condition (life-control). After a certain time the tablets with the plates are collected and returned to the kitchen. The distribution of the food for the working inmates is different to every prison. In general there are the following options: a) The meals are brought by staff and an inmate to the dining room near the working area. Every inmate then takes his/her meal and the cutlery (also steel), which is necessary and brings it back after finishing. b) At lunchtime, the inmates are separately brought to a big dining room, which is more like a canteen. The inmates can choose between different meals. Likewise, the food is handed out on a plate made of porcelain. Cutlery can be taken by themselves. During lunchtime there are several staffs eating at the same time, so the inmates are always under observance. All dining rooms are cleaned daily by inmates, so is the canteen kitchen. The cutlery will not be counted after the meals, except the knives of the canteen kitchen itself. The kitchen staff has to make sure that all knives are back at their places before the inmates leave. For secureness, all inmates get controlled thoroughly after work before returning back to their cells.
In general, the inmates have breakfast, lunch and dinner in their cells. When the cells are open they have either the possibility to eat in the kitchen if they want to. Each station has one separate kitchen, which is like a big common room and equipped with cookware (pots, pans, bowls etc.) so the prisoners can also use it for cooking, if they bought own food. This option is actually used very often by inmates to enhance the variety of their meals and also encourages social interactions. Breakfast and dinner is common for every prisoner, there´s only a difference at lunch for those who work. They have lunch in a common dining room at work together with other inmates. The seating capacity of those rooms depends on the size of the working area and the number of jobs for inmates in every prison, but is always well calculated so that everyone gets a seat.
Which are the utensils and parts of cutlery that inmates are handed in for every meal (trays, plates, etc.) and which material are utensils and cutlery made of?The equipment of every inmate at the beginning of the imprisonment contains cutlery including a knife, a spoon and a fork, which are made of steel. They have to use it for every meal and clean it by themselves. Unless it doesn´t get destroyed, they´ll keep it until the end of the imprisonment. The meal itself is always on a plate, made of porcelain and handed on a tablet, covered with a lid, which is made of polypropylene. Inmates with a risk of self-harm or generic danger are only handed cutlery made of plastic and food in aluminum food containers to reduce the risk of injury for the staff and also the prisoner him- or herself. The cutlery then gets collected after every meal.
How is the distribution of the food, the collecting and re-counting of cutlery and the cleaning up of the dining rooms organised? Could you please specify who undertakes these tasks and who is responsible for supervising them?Each prison has one big kitchen, where inmates work under control of qualified staff, preparing meals for the whole prison and always providing high hygienic requirements. For a good structure each prison is divided into different parts with cells and in each part works a prisoner, who is responsible for this area. This includes cleaning the corridor and the kitchen/common room (in german called “Hausarbeiter”). Furthermore he or she is the one who hands out the meals together with the staff, so there´s always someone controlling this process and at the same time looking for the inmates condition (life-control). After a certain time the tablets with the plates are collected and returned to the kitchen. The distribution of the food for the working inmates is different to every prison. In general there are the following options: a) The meals are brought by staff and an inmate to the dining room near the working area. Every inmate then takes his/her meal and the cutlery (also steel), which is necessary and brings it back after finishing. b) At lunchtime the inmates are separately brought to a big dining room, which is more like a canteen. The inmates can choose between different meals. Likewise the food is handed out on a plate made of porcelain. Cutlery can be taken by themselves. During lunchtime there are several staffs eating at the same time, so the inmates are always under observance. All dining rooms are cleaned daily by inmates, so is the canteen kitchen. The cutlery will not be counted after the meals, except the knives of the canteen kitchen itselves. The kitchen staff has to make sure that all knives are back at their places, before the inmates leave. For secureness all inmates get controlled thoroughly after work before returning back to their cells.
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