Standing in a common area, surrounded by inmates, Ayisha Savage (BSFCS ’99, Dietetics) focuses on the older man standing before her asking questions about the food he receives in the Fulton County Jail.

“ He’s diabetic and wanted to know how to get a snack,” she explained later. Her answer was the same as it is to most of the inmates who are seeking a change in their diets – he needs to talk to his inmate medical provider, who will determine if he needs the extra snack each day.

Savage seems completely comfortable interacting with a few of the 2,000 men and 500 women who are housed at the Fulton County Jail. But when she began work there a little over a year ago, she wasn’t sure how long she would stay among the 2,500 inmates who have been charged with everything from prostitution to robbery to murder. Nor were her colleagues, Cheryl Fairbanks and Bob Sefers.

“ I found out later that my new colleagues didn’t think I’d last six weeks,” Savage says, laughing. “Here I was this small-town girl from Cochran. I had never seen a place like this before.”

When she first interviewed for the position, Savage’s husband, Curtis, was so concerned that he took the day off from his job to accompany her.

But nervousness is now a thing of the past as Savage embraces her role as dietitian at the Fulton County Jail, a position that has expanded beyond overseeing preparation of meals each day and now allows her to teach inmates how to improve their health.

“ When I first came here there were 11 or 12 different diets available for inmates, I’ve reduced that to four or five diets which actually makes it more likely that each inmate receives what he or she needs nutritionally. Before, there was a higher likelihood that an inmate might receive the wrong diet because there are so many people involved in preparing meals and delivering meals that mistakes were more likely. We also developed a high-protein diet for inmates who are losing weight as a result of AIDS or other wasting diseases – it’s less food, but provides more calories.”

The problem with eliminating food is the role it plays in the inmate community.

“ Food is a bargaining tool,” Savage explained. “It provides inmates with status and power. They generally didn’t like the idea of us taking away half of their food, because that means they have less to bargain with – they’re going to eat it instead, which is my goal for them.”

Savage has taken it upon herself to explain diet changes to inmates.

“ When someone files a grievance, I handle it,” she said. “I go to their floor and explain why they’re receiving the diet they are and I try to teach them to make good choices about their diet. On most floors, there’s a little recreation area where we sit and talk face-to-face.”

But Savage does take precautions when talking with inmates.

“ There’s always an officer who goes with me,” she explained. “And, I don’t go right before they’re going to eat because they’re more tense at that stage. In addition to serving as a bargaining tool, food is a pacifier. People are calmer after they’ve eaten.”

Although Savage has never felt in danger while meeting with inmates, the officer accompanying her on a recent visit is vigilant. As she confers with an inmate regarding his diet, Deputy Melvin Echols is looking everywhere.

  “ I’m looking at where everyone is,” he explained. “I’m looking at the reflections in the windows, at the reflections in eyeglasses. I want her to concentrate on her work and then I want her to get out.”

And Savage has gone through a learning process of how to interact appropriately with the inmates.

“ When I first came here I was very nervous about meeting with the inmates, but I did it,” she said. “Then, after a few months, I became almost too comfortable. One day I was talking with an inmate on the seventh floor, where those charged with violent crimes are kept. He was in his cell and I was explaining to him something about his diet. At some point, I took a step toward his cell and the officer who was with me sort of snatched me away and told me I should never step that close to a cell because an inmate could grab me. Now, I feel like I’ve achieved the appropriate balance of being comfortable around the inmates while still maintaining an air of authority.”

In addition to the one-on-one teaching she provides, Savage also is involved in a culinary arts program that was started by Sheriff Jacquelyn Barrett.

“ The jail actually has three programs under the Hope Center program – welding, computers and the culinary arts program. Each program lasts 12 weeks and inmates who complete them successfully are provided help in finding a job when they leave jail,” she said.

Myra Conway said she’s learned a lot both personally and professionally since being accepted into the culinary arts program.

“ When I was in prison in Milledgeville I worked in the central kitchen there,” she said. “But with this experience, when you finish they place you on a job. It’s a good program for someone who likes to cook.”

Each week, Conway and her fellow culinary arts students take tests, which may range from knowing the variety of utensils used in industrial kitchens, to knowing the correct temperature for a refrigerator, to knowing about cleaning products and how to properly sanitize food preparation areas.

Personally, Conway said she has learned to “lay back on the salt,” as well as to reduce her starch intake.

Since she was interviewed a few months ago, Conway has completed her sentence.

“ I imagine she’s doing well,” Savage said. “People who don’t do well usually end up back in here, but among our culinary arts graduates, we haven’t had any come back to the jail since shortly after the program began.”

Raymond Caldwell said he also has learned a lot since joining the program.

“ I’ve learned how to work around a 60-gallon kettle and how to operate a baking oven,” he said. “I’d never worked around that sort of thing. I’d never cooked for a massive number of people like I can now.”

In addition, Savage also teaches inmates some of the finer aspects of food service, such as how to correctly set a table and how to make table decorations, such as a swan out of honeydew melons.

“ When I took this job, I thought I’d be here maybe a year,” she said. “Since I’m actually hired by Aramark, which is a large food service corporation, I viewed this as a way to get my foot in the door and then I could transfer somewhere else in Atlanta, like to Turner Field, for example. Now, I don’t ever want to leave corrections work. I feel like I’m really making a difference in people’s lives and their health.”