Carbon prison to get camera system upgrade

The Carbon County Correctional Facility’s outdated surveillance camera system is getting a much-needed upgrade.

On Thursday, the county commissioners approved applying to the Housing and Redevelopment Insurance Exchange, the county’s workers’ compensation carrier, for up to $15,000 in available Safety Improvement Grant funds for updating the 20-year-old camera system.

“The clarity is not near where it should be,” Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said of the current camera system at the prison. “It’s extremely important that we have a good surveillance system because of the issues that occur there. It helps us a lot in protecting ourselves in incidents where there is an investigation.”

The new system will provide a wider view of surveillance as well, which will help cut out many of the blind spots at the facility.

Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard said that there have been incidents where inmates use the blind spots of the cameras to their advantage.

“This will give us the ability to monitor everything we need to and make it much safer for everyone,” he said.

There was no time frame announced on when the upgrade will occur.