Local News
A holiday behind the walls
DOC provides holiday meals at two local prisons
It takes a heap of cooking to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for 1,200 at Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
Likewise, cooks are busy at the adjacent Jackie Brannon Correctional Center.
At OSP, Department of Corrections Food Manager Bob Compton said cooks were busy early Wednesday with preparations for the huge Thanksgiving meal.
“We’ve got turkeys in the oven and we’re baking pumpkin pie,” said Compton.
Four staff members, assisted by 14 offenders, were working on the mammoth endeavor.
“We’re cooking 70 turkeys — 20 pounds each,” Compton said.
Added to that is approximately 100 gallons of dressing and 70 gallons of giblet gravy.
Also on the menu: 80 gallons of mashed potatoes.
Workers were also cooking up some green beans, but an elaboration has been added.
“We’ll have 80 gallons of green bean casserole,” said Compton.
Oh yes, there’ll be 25 gallons of cranberry sauce to help set off that 100 gallons of dressing.
“We’ll have dinner rolls for 1,200, and 1,200 servings each of pumpkin pie and cherry cake,” said Compton.
“We’ll have iced tea to wash it all down.”
Workers at the maximum-security prison planned to start serving the dinner on Thursday afternoon.
“The offenders and the staff at OSP wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving,” Compton said.
At the nearby JBCC, four DOC staff members and 10 offenders were working together to whip up another holiday repast.
“We’re doing 500 pounds of turkey,” said the aptly-named DOC Food Manager II Fletta Cook.
“We’re doing about 200 pounds of dressing,” with 80 gallons of giblet gravy, she said.
Also included: 200 pounds of mashed potatoes.
JBCC’s menu includes 100 pounds of green beans as well as 100 pounds of corn.
“We’ll have about 75 pounds of cranberry sauce,” Cook said.
“We’re also doing 20 sheets of pumpkin pie,” enough for 800 servings, she said. Whipped topping will top off the pumpkin pie, said Cook.
Cooks will have 1,600 rolls ready for the JBCC meal — enough for two rolls each to be included with each of the 800 servings. Served along with rolls: 60 pounds of butter.
“They’ll also have 80 gallons of tea,” Cook said.
In addition to preparing the JBCC meals, workers at the facility were also baking 3,000 rolls for use at the Pittsburg County Community Thanksgiving Dinner.
“We’re going to start serving at 3 p.m.” on Thanksgiving Day, Cook said of the JBCC meal.
“The day before is our busy day,” she said. “It all goes real good.”
Contact James Beaty at jbeaty@mcalesternews.com.
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