JANUARY 22, 2025|
Photo – Sheriff Bakken speaks to State Legislature in Cheyenne – Courtesy Sheriff Bakken’s Facebook
To raise awareness among state law makers about the lack of available mental health services in Wyoming, county sheriffs will now charge the state to house inmates while they wait for psychological evaluations.
During Tuesday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, Sheriff Alex Bakken announced that he, and a collection of other sheriffs from around Wyoming, will begin billing the state for the time and expense of holding inmates waiting for a court-ordered mental health examination.
Sheriff Bakken explained that inmates are often forced to remain in jail for nearly seven months while they wait for a bed to open at the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston. The sheriff said Carbon County spends between $87,000 and $98,000 to house those inmates.
Sheriff Bakken said forcing an inmate to wait for a bed to open in Evanston doesn’t benefit the county or the patient.
To push the Wyoming State Hospital to conduct mental health evaluations more quickly, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office will begin billing the state $102.09 per inmate per day.
Sheriff Bakken said the Wyoming state legislature is considering a bill to reimburse law enforcement agencies for housing inmates waiting for psychological examinations. However, the sheriff said he does not know when or if the bill will be passed. In the meantime, Sheriff Bakken will join other sheriffs across Wyoming in charging the state.
Sheriff Bakken said the Wyoming State Hospital has plenty of open beds. The delay in seeing inmates comes from a lack of staff to perform the court-ordered mental health evaluations and look after patients.
If the state agrees to compensate jails for holding individuals awaiting psychological exams, Sheriff Bakken said he plans to use the additional funding to enhance the availability of mental health services in Carbon County.
Commissioner John Espy said he is concerned that the state might choose to pay the county rather than enhance access to these crucial services.
Sheriff Bakken said he is open to increasing the county’s asking price to match the actual cost of housing patients in Evanston.
Commission Chairman Travis Moore said the state is forcing local jails to take care of mental health inmates instead of finding a way to fix the underlying problem.
Commission Vice Chair Gwynn Bartlett asked Sheriff Bakken if mental health services are provided at the Carbon County Jail. The sheriff replied that they do, but the county’s resources do not match those available in Evanston.
The board agreed that mental health must be prioritized more in Wyoming and expressed hope that Sheriff Bakken’s plan will lead to a positive change.
