Huntsville TimesSheriff eyes vegetable garden to lower costs; budget gets a boost
And you thought your grocery bill was high.
With food prices soaring and more hungry mouths to feed than ever, the Madison County Jail's grocery tab has jumped to about $100,000 a month.
Sheriff Blake Dorning says the jail may have to get back to nature to lower costs: He hopes to plant a large vegetable garden in Meridianville to grow produce for the jail.
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Several state prisons already grow corn, cabbage, tomatoes and other food to supplement their menus. Alabama's prison food costs remain well below the national average at $1.48 per inmate daily, say prison system officials. Madison County officials said in May they were spending about $3.20 a day per inmate. Stephens said costs can "fluctuate wildly" as much as 50 to 70 cents per inmate per day.
Interesting turn of events for Alabama sheriffs, because
Alabama AG rules that Alabama sheriffs may pocket leftover food money after feeding inmatesAnyone want to guess what's on a menu that ""fluctuate wildly" as much as 50 to 70 cents per inmate per day"?
Maybe these sheriffs need to share their skills with the overtaxed food banks?