If the Events option is used, cookers in the kitchen may catch fire at random. So one big kitchen serving multiple canteens might work better than using multiple kitchens. Cooks (and prisoners, if they are allowed to enter those rooms) go there when needed, and "first come, first served". However, there's no distribution system sending the right amount of Ingredients for each canteen from delivery or Storage Room.
In the Food Distribution view of the Logistics menu, you can assign which kitchens should serve which canteens and nurseries, and which canteens should serve which cell blocks. Afterwards, up to 100 qualified prisoners may work in the kitchen during work regime, each taking up 12 squares of space (so a kitchen of 1200 squares will provide jobs for the maximum amount of prisoners), if assigned in the Prison Labour view of the Logistics menu. A session takes 2 hours and is led by a cook. However, it's the cooks' job as well to distribute them to the staff rooms and staff canteens.įor prisoners to be allowed to work in the kitchen, they have to pass the Kitchen Safety and Hygiene Program, which also takes place in the kitchen and requires one cooker per prisoner, up to 5 of them being able to attend at once. Those are delivered from outside the prison. Kitchens are not used to cook staff meals. Having dog patrols in your kitchen will help in catching the contraband before it makes it into prisoner hands.
Note: the constant flow of incoming stacks of ingredients to your kitchen makes it a common place for contraband. The greater your inmate population, the more Fridges, Cookers and Cooks you will require to keep up with demand. Kitchens are staffed by Cooks and Prisoners.