Carbon prison reports problem with inmates flushing clothes

Carbon County has a problem with flushed clothing at its prison.

For a second month in a row, the county prison board discussed a problem it is having with inmates flushing their prison issued clothing and towels down the drain, effectively clogging the toilet and the lines.

This month alone, prison maintenance had to snake the drain in the maximum security unit three times, with one of them requiring an outside company to be called in to clear the line.

Each time, clothing was discovered to be the source of the blockage.

“How does this happen?” Commissioner William O’Gurek asked.

Warden Timothy Fritz explained that when inmates get angry about something, they sometimes flush down an item of their clothing. There are 23 inmates in that block.

There is a system in place to try to stop these items at the cells, but the pins that are there don’t always snag the clothes.

Fritz said unless the item gets snagged on the pins in the drains, there is no way to tell which cell is responsible for the clothing being flushed.

The board asked if there was anything that can be done to find who is doing this, such as inventorying the prison-issued items, numbering the clothes and more.

In another matter, the correctional facility is again in total compliance with the Department of Corrections.

Fritz spoke about the results of last month’s inspection and said because the county is in compliance, another inspection will not be needed for two years.

The DOC looks at the prison’s policies and procedures, the prison facility, food services, programs offered and the training of the staff, as well as other items.