Jail’s Food Vendor Raising Prices

MAY 15, 2025 |

Photo – Carbon County Detention Center – Bigfoot99 file photo

The cost of feeding inmates at the Carbon County jail continues to rise at a cost to county government.

During the May 6^th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Alex Bakken announced that Summit Food Service, the company that supplies food to the county jail, is raising its prices. Sheriff Bakken said he negotiated a smaller increase, but the cost to the county will increase nearly $9,000 a year. The actual increase is $8,930 per year, bringing the total annual cost for inmate meals to $243,930.

Sheriff Bakken explained the county is already using Summit Food Service’s lowest-quality food tier. The sheriff said the county remains tied to the company until a more affordable supplier can be found, and jokingly suggested serving inmates nutraloaf, a bland, nutritionally complete meal often used as a disciplinary measure for disruptive prisoners.

The Sheriff said he has contacted other Wyoming sheriffs about their food service providers. The other sheriffs all reported using Summit Food Service unless their county had a very small population.

The Board of Carbon County Commissioners authorized Sheriff Bakken to accept the contract amendment with Summit Food Service with the 3.8% price increase.