Friday, AUGUST 1, 2025 |
Photo – Carbon County Jail – Bigfoot99 file photo
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken discussed a bill to enable mental health evaluations in local detention facilities.
In January, Sheriff Alex Bakken briefed the Carbon County Commissioners on the financial burden of housing inmates waiting for state-ordered mental health assessments. Sheriff Bakken said some individuals may remain in jail for up to seven months before a bed opens at the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, adding that Carbon County spends between $87,000 and $98,000 a year to house those inmates.
To push the Wyoming State Hospital to conduct mental health evaluations more quickly, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office began billing the state $102.09 per inmate per day while they wait to be seen in Evanston.
During his recently released podcast, Sheriff Bakken said a new bill was being drafted by the Wyoming state legislature to set aside $2.5 million to conduct mental health evaluations in county jails.
According to the draft bill, the Wyoming Department of Health estimated the $2.5 million appropriation by multiplying the current mental evaluation wait time, which it estimates at 30 days, over one year using a daily cost of $230 per inmate.
Sheriff Bakken explained that when a person is detained, they are seen by a judge who may order a mental health evaluation. Because the assessment must be conducted at the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, the Sheriff said inmates are forced to remain behind bars while waiting for an available bed.
Sheriff Bakken said inmates often remain in custody far longer than necessary while awaiting a mental health evaluation. With Carbon County spending roughly $189 per inmate per day, those prolonged incarcerations put increased financial strain on the county.
Sheriff Bakken said the process is a continual source of frustration for both his office and the inmates.
The Sheriff said on August 12th, the Wyoming Judiciary Committee will consider a bill to allocate state funding for mental health assessments in county jails, as opposed to exclusively in Evanston.
Sheriff Bakken said he will be testifying in support of the measure, explaining that a jail is not the best place for people who need mental health evaluations or treatment. The Sheriff said removing those individuals from the county jail benefits both the inmates and detention center staff.
Sheriff Bakken said he hopes the jail-based services bill draft proposal passes.
The Wyoming Judiciary Committee will meet at 8:00 a.m. in Casper on Tuesday, August 12th. The Wyoming Department of Health and Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police are both expected to testify on the draft bill.
