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Firing solves one problem for jail's new food vendor By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune One of his cooks was caught supplying tobacco to prisoners in jail, but Lt. Jim Warren said he is still pleased with the county's new food-service vendor. Daaron John Kiefer, 31, of Trail, was arrested on Feb. 18 on charges of supplying and attempting to supply contraband in jail. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail on $9,000 bail. He has since been released but was terminated from his job as a cook supervisor in the jail's kitchen. Kiefer was employed by Aramark, the county's new meal provider since Jan. 5. A jail inmate, 32-year-old Christopher Rocha of Medford, was charged with supplying contraband in jail after he allegedly assisted Kiefer in the crime. Rocha was jailed without bail in November last year for violating probation conditions of a drug conviction and was later charged with first-degree theft, first-degree theft by receiving, second-degree criminal trespass, unauthorized use of and unauthorized entry into a vehicle. He remained lodged in jail Wednesday. Warren calls the episode embarrassing for the jail and Aramark. It was the first time an employee successfully brought contraband into the jail, he said. Kiefer's job put him in direct contact with prisoners, some of whom work in the kitchen to earn a little extra cash and more food. "Trustees," as the inmate workers are called, earn about $1 a day for washing dishes, prepping food and cleaning. Jail employees found a note in the kitchen manager's office with instructions on how to bring cigarettes into the jail, according to a report written by a Medford police officer who investigated the case. Kiefer allegedly was instructed to bring the contraband inside when he went outside to empty the trash. The cigarettes were left in a vehicle parked outside, according to the report. Money was involved, but it was unclear how it was exchanged. Because criminal charges have not yet been filed with the Jackson County District Attorney's Office, Warren would not elaborate on the circumstances of the case. Rocha may have been a kitchen worker before he was charged with supplying contraband but is not now, Warren said. Based on their history and the severity of an offense, prisoners lose various privileges or could spend up to 30 days segregated from other inmates as punishment. Warren said he didn't know how Rocha was disciplined. The jail has had no other problems with cooks hired by Aramark, Warren said. All jail employees undergo a background check that affirms their identity and uncovers any criminal history before they go to work. Under the Aramark contract, the county will save approximately $1 million over five years. Warren said the majority of savings will be in overtime costs. Cooks employed by the county were paid $66,000 in overtime last year, he said. Aramark's cooks are paid between $9 and $11 per hour while county personnel received between $11 to $16 per hour and benefits considerably higher than what Aramark offers, Warren said. The county also will see savings from shutting down kitchens at the Talent jail and the juvenile detention facility. Under the Aramark contract, those facilities - along with the Community Justice Work Center, the youth diagnostic center and the main jail - receive meals prepared at the Medford kitchen. For $1.09 per meal, Aramark provides a meal package that was nearly identical to the old one, Warren said. A few inmates have complained about the change, he added, but most seem to be satisfied with the quality of the food. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.