September 22, 2023 |
Photo – Carbon County Jail and Communications Center – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Carbon County Jail will not house state prison inmates after all. The demands from the Department of Corrections are too demanding, according to Sheriff Bakken.
Earlier this month, during the September 5th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Bakken said the state had inquired about housing female Wyoming Department of Corrections inmates in the county jail. Sheriff Bakken said the state is very low on prison guards and was requesting assistance from county law enforcement agencies. The sheriff said before moving forward he wanted to see the agreement in writing.
At the time, Sheriff Bakken said the deal will financially benefit the county because the Wyoming Department of Corrections offered to pay all the costs associated with housing the inmates, including medical and transportation fees. Sheriff Bakken said he would only accept the deal if the state agreed to transfer no more than six prisoners. The sheriff said he has 12 available female cells and will only offer half for state use.
At this week’s commissioners meeting held in Saratoga, Sheriff Bakken said the state responded to his demands. The sheriff said because he isn’t prepared to receive the number of inmates the state requires, the deal is off.
Commissioner Travis Moore asked Sheriff Bakken how many inmates the state was asking him to take. Sheriff Bakken said WDOC needed the Carbon County jail to house at least 12 prisoners. The sheriff said he declined the offer for the good of his department.
Despite agreeing that the Wyoming Department of Corrections deserves help, the commissioners backed Sheriff Bakken’s decision to reject the state’s contract.
