Porridge 2.0: prisoners’ software reboots jail canteen

Two prisoners in an Oklahoma jail could have saved the state £20m a year with a smart software programme that brings some data analysis to prison food.

Originally designed to check that prisoners weren’t going into the food line twice, the system tracks inmates as they proceed through food lines, by giving each a barcode.

Scanning the code shows who has eaten, and also tracks which prisoner needs what food – whether it’s a diabetic meal, or a Halal or Kosher one. That can reduce the chance of lawsuits when canteens get it wrong, Bobby Cleveland, an Oklahoma state representative, explained to the Washington Post.

The programme also works out what meals are the most popular and can rebalance orders to make sure the food is better. Reducing waste has saved the Joseph Harp Correctional Center money already, and if rolled out across the state, could save even more.

Because it also tracks what food comes in and out of the kitchens, the software recently picked up something else: that the food supplier Sysco was charging prisons different prices for the same food items, something the Oklahoma state is currently looking into.

Designed by two unnamed inmates, one incarcerated for murder and other for sexual offences, the programme had been in place for two years.

Scott Martin, another state representative interviewed by the Washington Post, said that allowing prisoners to work on the program can save the state the money it would cost to hire a software developer.

“We utilise our prisoners for physical labour jobs, and it just so happens some of our prisoners have a skill set other than physical labor,” Mr Martin said. “Where it makes sense is that we should use that to our advantage.”