A state audit has revealed numerous problems with a contract the Kentucky Department of Corrections has with a private company that provides meals to state prisons. An investigation of a 2009 riot at Northpoint Training Center near Danville determined food was not the main factor, but was a contributing factor to the riot. At the request of lawmakers, State Auditor Crit Luallen audited the $12 million contract the Corrections Department has with food service vendor ARAMARK, and says problems were found. “There were some errors in billing that we think point to the need for much stronger oversight and awareness on the part of the Corrections Department of the importance of keeping track of every detail of a contract that’s this large.” The audit offers 30 recommendations for strengthening oversight of the contract, many of which the Corrections Department has already adopted. The audit does not recommend termination of the contract with ARAMARK.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.