Cold Meals At The State Penitentiary In McAlester

NewsOn6.com

MCALESTER, OK -- Prisoners at McAlester's Oklahoma State Penitentiary and Jackie Brannon Correction Center are eating from a different menu this week, after a natural gas leak last week caused prison officials to stop cooking hot meals.

OSP Warden Assistant Terry Crenshaw says the leak was discovered last Thursday and Centerpoint Energy shut off the gas service, while Oklahoma Department of Corrections crews try to find the leak and repair it.

Crenshaw says the leak is in a gas line that services both prison facilities.

In the meantime, Crenshaw says the prison has switched to foods, like sandwiches and other food items that do not require heat to cook.

He says cooks at the Jackie Brannon Correctional Center even grilled hamburgers on outdoor grills last week.

Crenshaw says natural gas is also the source for heating at the two prisons. But because of the warmer weather, heating hasn't been much of concern.

Crenshaw is hoping DOC and Centerpoint Energy crews can have the problem fixed by Wednesday.