Aramark Correctional Services is a Chicago-based company that provides food services for inmates at Cook County Jail. It rakes in about $1 million a month, or roughly $180,000 to $195,000 a week.
But if you were to examine the county’s new online check register, you wouldn’t know that. In fact, you might think Aramark was fleecing the county, providing “miscellaneous services” and “computer accessories and supplies.”
A food company providing mouse pads? Printer ink? And for more about $1.5 million a month in January and February?
Turns out that's not the case.
Kathy Markham, Internet project manager with the county's techonology bureau, says human error is to blame.
"We don't believe this is a pervasive issue ... it's a data key-in problem," she says.
Steve Patterson, spokesman for the sheriff's department, says Aramark is indeed getting paid for food services. But data entry clerks have erroneously punched in codes reflecting other services.
Patterson says the sheriff's office submits invoices to the county comptroller's office. It then pays the bills and enters payments into the county's central finance database. The techology bureau then culls data for the check register from that.