The Role Of an RD in a Correctional Facility

The role of the dietitian can vary depending on what facility he/she is employed by. One unique type of facility that you may see an RD working in is a correctional facility.  This can range anywhere from a jail/prison to Immigration and Customs Enforcement centers. The number of RD's that are involved in these kinds of settings is a relatively small amount. Just like hospitals, schools, and long term care facilities, correctional facilities provide food for the people that are housed under them. The This is where a need for a nutritional professional, the RD is crucial. The RD plays an elemental role in updating menus, planning diets based on religious and cultural beliefs, reviewing specifications for state contracts with food purveyors, budgeting, auditing food waste, creating and administering education to clients and staff.
Every correctional facility/program operates in a different manor which means they have different regulations and standards based on the governing agency overseeing the facility (county, state, or federal). It is important for the RD to be flexible and aware of the many different regulations and principles that may vary from state to state or even from county to state. An RD interested in this line of work must be able to pass multiple background checks.



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Nutrition Services in Correctional Facilities. Hardy, Kathy. Today's Dietitian, Volume 18, No. 6. June 2016.

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