Since 2023, CDC has been working with correctional and public health partners to understand the unique challenges of and offer resources and tools to improve food safety in correctional settings.
This anonymous survey will help them better understand correctional food service operations, training needs, and challenges related to food safety practices. The survey was first released in 2024, and they received more than 600 responses from correctional workers across the United States. They are repeating the survey to help track changes in food safety knowledge and identify the need for additional tools and resources for correctional facilities.
- The survey is open to all federal, state, local, and tribal correctional facility employees who have not been in prison or jail (not just those who are assigned to work in food preparation).
- Data collection is anonymous. The survey does not ask for names, employers, or contact information, so the answers cannot be tied back to an individual or a facility.
- Participation in this survey is completely voluntary and should take less than 30 minutes to complete.
- Each participant should complete the survey once and more than one person in a facility can take the survey.
- Participants can respond regardless of participation in the 2024 survey.
- Please distribute this survey to correctional workers within your organization and encourage their participation. This information will greatly improve the food safety tools and resources CDC develop for correctional workers.
- Please complete the survey before May 5, 2026.
