Denaija Walker reviews a notebook where she logged the food she was served in San Francisco’s jail throughout the spring. In a recent survey, incarcerated people in San Francisco reserved their most negative ratings for the taste and quality of food.
Abigail Vân Neely/S.F. Chronicle
In a recent survey of various quality-of-life conditions inside San Francisco jails, incarcerated people reserved their most negative ratings for the taste and quality of food.
The survey, released last month, asked about 500 people incarcerated between March 18 and April 24 about several aspects of jail life that have been the subject of chronic complaints over the years, including access to sunlight, activities, health care and legal services. One in three respondents said they’d been seriously injured.
Food, however, proved to be the lowest-rated item on the survey. “Every dimension of food and nutrition scored on average below neutral,” said the survey, which was conducted by a city police watchdog agency and administered via tablets distributed by the sheriff’s department.
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Over 70% of respondents rated the food “extremely poor.” They said fresh options were limited, there were frequent failures to accommodate special diets, and serving trays were unsanitary.
“We take concerns about the food served in our jails seriously,” said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Tara Moriarty. “We recognize that institutional meals can become repetitive, and the survey provides useful feedback about respondents’ desire for greater variety and improvements in taste and quality.”
The sheriff’s department is evaluating the responses and will work with the food provider to make reasonable menu adjustments, Moriarty added.
An example of a breakfast (left) and lunch provided by Aramark, depicted on a recipe card shared with San Francisco officials.
Aramark
An example of a breakfast (top) and lunch provided by Aramark, depicted on a recipe card shared with San Francisco officials.
Aramark
The recent survey results come on the heels of a lawsuit filed by multiple women detained in San Francisco over allegedly poor conditions, including inadequate food. Multiple incarcerated people have also filed a lawsuit in West Virginia federal court against Aramark, the company that provides food to jails across the country, including in San Francisco.
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People incarcerated in West Virginia claim Aramark’s spoiled meals and skimpy portions forced them to purchase food from the jail’s commissary — which is also supplied by Aramark. Aramark did not respond to the Chronicle’s requests for comment.
San Francisco renewed its contract with Aramark in November 2025. Scorecards the city uses to assess companies bidding for contracts show that Aramark received the highest overall scores and offered the lowest price per meal, at $2.20.
Nevertheless, nine women in custody in San Francisco demanded healthier meals in a June lawsuit. They claimed the jail food, heavy on starch and low in fresh fruits and vegetables, aggravated their chronic health conditions and weight gain.
In the complaint, Kimberly Boyd said she “suffered severe vomiting” and diarrhea because of the jail’s food. Damena Page said she reheated her “undercooked” meals in a jail microwave in an attempt to “kill bacteria.”
Denaija Walker holds bread (on left) and a bag of food she said she was served in San Francisco jail in March. In a recent survey, incarcerated people in San Francisco reserved their most negative ratings for the taste and quality of food.
Courtesy
Food trays are rinsed in a rapid-cycle dishwasher and come out with residue still on them, according to Yolanda Huang, the civil rights attorney representing the women. Two formerly incarcerated women responsible for cleaning up after meals said in interviews that they simply sprayed down trays with water and put them on a rack because they weren’t given soap.
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Multiple San Francisco deputies interviewed said they replaced meals when people in custody pointed out rare, one-off hygiene issues on trays. At the same time, they acknowledged that a lack of resources led to “pervasive” and “legitimate” complaints about repetitive jail meals.
In interviews, a dozen formerly and currently incarcerated men and women described the daily food as “inedible” and “unhealthy,” saying they often subsisted on snacks purchased from the jail’s commissary, like chips and meat sticks. Some compared the meals to “slop” and “dog food.” Three said they were served moldy bread, spoiled milk and fruit with maggots in it.
“I can’t even hint to what it could have been,” said Taylor Ross when asked what she ate for dinner during her eight months in custody. “It was whatever they threw together.”
Moriarty said the sheriff’s department was not aware of evidence indicating a broader issue with moldy food. Each meal is planned to meet state nutritional and regulatory standards, she added.
Survey respondents also said that “commissary prices had risen and that items were expensive.” Ever since Aramark took over from the former provider, they said, items are frequently out-of-stock, with fresh fruit being particularly hard to come by.
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“If you have commissary, then that’s what you’re eating,” said Denaija Walker, who was incarcerated between February and May this year. “If you don’t, then you’re just gonna starve.”
Denaija Walker reviews a notebook where she logged the food she was served in San Francisco’s jail throughout the spring.
Abigail Vân Neely/S.F. Chronicle
Walker said she showed her attorney moldy food on two occasions, and her public defender confirmed this account. Photos reviewed by the Chronicle show a piece of bread turning green at the corner and a lump of an unidentifiable substance. Soon after, Walker said she started throwing up, getting diarrhea and having to wear diapers. She couldn’t confirm if it was because of something she’d eaten.
The sheriff’s department was unable to verify that the food shown in the photos was served to Walker in the condition depicted.
“Individuals in custody are expected to consume meals within the designated meal period and to promptly notify a deputy if there is a problem with a food item so it can be replaced and the concern can be documented and investigated,” Moriarty said. She added that she could not share confidential information regarding individual meal plans.
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Walker said she continues to talk to attorneys about issues women still detained in the cells around her wanted addressed.
“I’m just trying to advocate for everybody,” Walker said. “Everything that comes with the dark is going to come to the light.”
Dining and Cooking