Knowing how to maintain a clean correctional facility is crucial when it comes to public health and safety. While sanitation challenges at correctional facilities may be similar to those at any large facility, the particular issues that jails and prisons encounter might make the initial task more challenging and critical. For example, many jails and prisons face issues such as overcrowding, which can double the amount of work and time that it takes to properly maintain the facility.

Having the right supplies on hand makes the cleaning process safer and more effective. Since inmates play an important role in cleaning the facility, you will want to make sure you have enough brooms, mops, dustpans, and disinfecting agents for inmates to properly clean their space. Additionally, you want to make sure that the supplies you do have on hand are safe for correctional facilities and cannot be turned into a weapon.

Similar to any other facility, you must thoroughly clean and sanitize to stop the spread of harmful bacteria and germs. In addition to preventing the spread of germs, properly sanitizing jails and prisons also lowers the risk of violence that occurs. Studies have shown that maintaining a clean and sanitary correctional facility reduces the amount of violence that occurs within prisons. Coming up with a detailed cleaning plan with tasks and expectations for both inmates and employees to follow helps ensure cleaning needs are met, and also helps staff and inmates understand the importance of each task.

While sanitation is only one of the many challenges correctional facilities face, having the right resources and supplies on hand can make everyday maintenance tasks easier. At Cook’s we have a wide range of correctional equipment and supplies available at all times. If you have any questions regarding the purchase of new foodservice equipment, we are happy to assist you.