PHILADELPHIA, July 29 — Aramark Correctional Services (ACS) announced today that it will launch Beyond the Tray with pilots in the Ohio and Indiana Departments of Correction this summer. The hospitality-driven dining program reimagines correctional dining, prioritizing dignity, consistency, and daily engagement.
“Without compromising safety, we challenged ourselves to remove long-standing assumptions about correctional dining and build something better,” said Tim Barttrum, President and CEO of Aramark Correctional Services. “Beyond the Tray is a response to what we hear from our clients and residents and what our experts recommend. We believe this that will translate into fewer grievances, calmer environments, and positive interactions between staff and incarcerated individuals.”
The initiative grew directly from client and resident feedback gathered over several years and represents a shift from traditional tray-based service to a model that treats meals as a significant daily touchpoint.
Beyond the Tray is built around three components:
- Elevated Menus: Expanded offerings with improved quality, variety, and flavor, designed to meet diverse dietary needs and support incentive-based programming.
- Enhanced Dining Spaces: More organized, visually consistent environments that reinforce cleanliness and structure, with optional technology add-ons including digital signage for menu information and facility news.
- Modern Serveware: Corrections-grade plates, bowls, and trays engineered to improve food presentation, temperature retention, and meal separation, all meeting strict security requirements.
Every component is designed specifically for correctional environments: durable, secure, and scalable across facilities of all sizes and security levels.
“We challenge ourselves every day to improve the experience incarcerated individuals have while living in our correctional facilities, and this is one way Aramark is helping us meet that challenge,” said Chris Blessinger, Deputy Commissioner for the Indiana Department of Corrections. “Beyond the Tray is about more than offering healthy food options; it’s about changing the entire dining experience.”
Beyond the Tray can be customized to meet partners’ needs and will be available to correctional facilities nationwide. ACS will track the program’s impact through facility grievance rates, resident satisfaction feedback, and staff-reported interactions during the pilot period.
“Meals are the most consistent daily touchpoint in any correctional facility,” said Barttrum. “Beyond the Tray sets a new benchmark by treating that moment as an opportunity to reinforce structure, support staff, and extend dignity to everyone in the building. We’re proud to be leading that change.”