Improving the Food Environment in Washington State–Run Correctional Facilities: The Healthy Commissary Project

Improvements to correctional facilities’ food environment can provide healthier food and beverage options for incarcerated individuals, a population disproportionately affected by chronic disease. This article describes efforts to increase healthy options in the commissary program at Washington State correctional facilities from 2017 to 2019, and the role of a multidisciplinary collaboration between the state’s Department of Corrections, Department of Health, and Statewide Family Council. Through the development, implementation, and promotion of nutrition standards, the nutritional quality of foods and beverages in the commissary program improved.