City and county approve inmate housing agreement

With prices going up, local agreements need to be adjusted, including the agreement between Sweetwater County and the cities of Green River and Rock Springs concerning inmate housing contracts.

The contract change came before both the Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners and the Green River City Council during their meetings on Tuesday.

“The City of Green River currently has an agreement with Sweetwater County to use their detention facility to house municipal offenders sentenced to a jail term,” City Council documents explained. “The City pays a fee in order for the County to house these offenders.”

Green River Police Department Chief Shaun Sturlaugson explained to the council that any time Green River’s municipal court sentences offenders to jail time, those offenders are housed at the Sweetwater County Detention Center since the city doesn’t have its own facility.

“Over the last several years, the County has seen a rise in costs associated with housing inmates and, as such, needs to raise their housing rates to accommodate these rising costs,” council documents explained.

“That number hasn’t changed for eight years now,” Sheriff John Grossnickle told the county commissioners about the fee. He pointed to the effects of inflation making the increase necessary. “Everything is going through the roof as far as food, electricity, everything.” 

“Currently, the rate for housing adult inmates is $85.00 per day,” the city council documents continued. “The County is seeking to raise that cost to $125.00 per day, which is consistent with average housing costs across the State of Wyoming and will help them cover their rising costs. They have drafted a new agreement reflecting this fee change.” 

“That’s pretty standard, prices going up,” Mayor Pete Rust commented.

Both the City Council and Board of County Commissioners approved the change to the inmate housing contracts.

 

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