by Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch
June 19, 2025

A $74 million deal to outsource Oklahoma’s prison food service operations to the Trinity Services Group was voided after fewer than four weeks. 

Aramark, a competing bidder, filed a protest with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services within 10 business days of the May 13 contract award date. The state purchasing director sided with Aramark and the contract was canceled on June 6, agency spokeswoman Christa Helfrey said.

The Trinity Services Group and Aramark did not respond to several voicemails and written inquiries. A records request for the protest letter and cancellation notice is pending. 

Department of Corrections spokeswoman Kay Thompson said prison staff were notified of the cancellation on June 12. She said the agency plans to issue another bid for its food service operations, but there is no timeline. 

Thompson said the agency will continue surveying prisoners on food quality and preferences, as outlined in the voided contract with Trinity.

“We’re still going to revamp food service,” she said. 

The Department of Corrections submitted the bid in late December and pitched lawmakers on the idea during a January budget meeting. Director Steven Harpe said outsourcing would help the agency save money because large companies have suppliers and connections with which the state can’t compete. 

Critics have pointed to issues with prison food contractors in other states, including Missouri and Michigan, ranging from tiny portions to maggot-infested meat. Some prison and jail officials have also complained of food service employees smuggling contraband and having improper relationships with the incarcerated. 

State Rep. Justin Humphrey, the vice chair of the House Public Safety Committee and an outspoken critic of the Department of Corrections, said he had concerns about Trinity’s track record in other states and is pleased the deal was called off. 
“For them to say we have to get away from private prisons, spend $312 million to do it, and then turn around and try to privatize the services — I ask, ‘What’s the difference?’” he said. “That makes absolutely no sense.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Oklahoma’s Prison Food Service Contract Voided appeared first on oklahomawatch.org

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from *Oklahoma Watch* presents a factual, balanced report on the cancellation of a prison food services contract, covering perspectives from state officials, lawmakers, and referencing past issues with privatized prison food in other states. While it includes critical voices and acknowledges concerns about private contractors, it does not editorialize or frame the issue in a way that aligns with a particular political ideology. The inclusion of fiscal reasoning and public accountability, along with criticism from both government and watchdog figures, reflects a neutral journalistic tone focused on transparency rather than advocacy.