Michigan invites a second contractor to check out Aramark’s $145M prison assignment

LANSING, Mich. — Aramark Correctional Services, the prison food contractor that faced a barrage of complaints in its first year on the job, is now seeking a possible increase in its $145-million state contract, an official said Thursday.

So, the state has invited a competitor, Florida-based Trinity Services Group, in as part of a "benchmarking review," to look at food service costs.

Caleb Buhs, a spokesman for the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, which oversees the Aramark contract, confirmed that Trinity representatives have been touring kitchens in Michigan prisons.

Related: Former Aramark worker charged in attempted prison hit

Asked whether Aramark is asking for more money: Buhs said: "The discussion does include contract costs."

"As part of our obligation to continually monitor contract costs, DTMB has begun a benchmarking review," he said.

Buhs would give almost no other details of what types of changes in the contract Aramark wanted to discuss.

Aramark spokeswoman Karen Cutler declined comment.

"We respect our clients' privacy and do not discuss business matters publicly," Cutler said.

The three-year Aramark contract has been marked by controversy since it began in December 2013, when the company replaced about 370 state kitchen workers, based on projected cost savings of more than $14 million a year.