The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said the kitchen in the detention facility has been closed for repairs and renovation.

The kitchen has been moved to an auxiliary area of the jail whil repairs are made, and workers have also been making repairs to the plumbing system.   It’s expected the kitchen will be closed over the next two weeks because of repairs on damaged drain lines.

The costs of the repairs and renovation work are expected to be over $170,000.

The detention facility kitchen serves over 1,200 inmates daily.  Inmates receive three meals a day for a total of almost 4,000 meals a day and about 120,000 meals a month.  The Sheriff’s Office uses inmate labor in the kitchen instead of contract labor, and that saves on costs.  It also allows inmates to pay court fines and learn skills they can put to use after their release.

There have been problems with inmates intentionally damaging kitchen equipment, drains and water pipes.   Because of the closure of the kitchen, the Sheriff’s Office said it will probably have to serve meals using Styrofoam trays.   Styrofoam is not typically used in the jail because inmates may use it to clog plumbing mechanisms or use it to save food, which can lead to pest problems in the jail.

The Sheriff’s Office plans to put the jail’s food contract out for bid next year, and it will be bid with and without inmate labor to compare costs.