Commissioners hear HSC jail complaints

Tuesday’s meeting of the Hot Springs County Commissioners was an eclectic mix of approvals for various items, continued discussion regarding a fueling system at the new airport, a request from the Hot Springs County Counseling Center and a room filled with folks looking for some changes at the county jail.

Hot Springs County Airport

One item that is going to be a necessity at the new airport is a fueling system, both for local traffic and for those planes that come in and out of the airport for business or pleasure.

GDA Engineering has looked at various funding options for a fueling system after finding the fueling system at the current airport cannot be moved to the new location per the State Fire Marshall’s office.

Those options include a direct loan from the Wyoming Department of Transportation, a grant from the Wyoming Business Council, State Lands and Investment Board funding or a loan from the USDA, to name a few.

The commissioners agree having fuel at the new airport from day one is essential and will be going through all the funding options to find the one best for the county.

Another issue is to decide whether or not to include fuel for jet engines in addition to regular aircraft fuel, something that is not readily available in the area.

Having fuel for jet propulsion engines could make Hot Springs County a viable stop for corporate and private small jets to refuel.

Counseling center

Al Braaten with the Hot Springs County Counseling Center approached the commissioners with an issue he has been having with the State Department of Health, something he referred to as a “witch hunt.”

In March, the state sent a group to the counseling center to look over a number of patient files looking for co-occurring diagnoses, according to Braaten.

Because the Hot Springs center was not supposed to be covering substance abuse cases, the state apparently felt files where a patient has not only a mental health issue but a substance abuse issue were being handled inaccurately.

The counseling center in Basin had previously held the contract for the Big Horn Basin to handle substance abuse cases, but when the time came to bid on the contract again, Basin declined to apply.

The Hot Springs County Counseling Center, however, did apply for the contract.

According to Braaten, the state told him they would be awarding the contract to the Hot Springs center, but in spite of writing and re-writing an action plan several times, the contract had still not been approved.

One of the counselors at the center has already resigned because of the state issue and another may as well, leaving the center in a predicament.

Braaten told the commissioners he has not seen any other center in the state go through this type of scrutiny and it concerns him that even if they get a contract from the state will it be in the county’s best interest to sign it.

He asked the commissioners to step in on the Counselin Center’s behalf with the state.

They agreed to talk with the interim committee in June to find out what is going on as it makes no sense to the commissioners to “try to destroy the substance abuse program in Hot Springs County.”

Jail issue

Frank Robbins, representing the Set Free Church in Thermopolis, approached the commissioners along with a room full of parishioners to ask them to step in with the Sheriff’s department regarding visitation with prisoners to provide spiritual counseling and ministering.

Robbins has been going to the jail for some time to work with the inmates, giving them drug and alcohol intervention ministry.

His list of concerns with the jail and how it is run includes having to wait sometimes two or three hours to see an inmate, being denied additional access to the jail during different visiting hours and no longer being able to hold Bible studies with the inmates.

Robbins said not only is it difficult for him to see inmates who have specifically asked to see him, but many times the families of the inmates are also made to wait for hours to see their loved ones.

“They’re punishing not only those in jail, but everyone that’s coming to visit,” Robbins said. “I cannot even walk up to the front counter and ask that a Bible be given to a particular inmate. I have to mail it. That means it goes from here to Cheyenne and back at a cost of $15.

“Facility improvements are needed up there, too. People are having to sit two or three hours with no bathrooms available. Some of these family members are coming from out of town, some from across the state.

“Its not right. Its not fair.”

Robbins said his church and his ministering is free to the county, something he gladly does to try to control the revolving door of drugs, alcohol and jail.

Two parishioners also spoke to the commissioners, one telling his story of salvation from drugs and alcohol through Robbins’ ministry, and the mother of an inmate who feels her daughter would benefit from being able to receive spiritual counseling.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much the county commissioners can do about the situation.

“I want to make it clear, the delineation of duties,” commission chair Brad Basse said. “By coming to us, you didn’t go over the Sheriff’s head. Our only control over the jail and how it is run is purely financial.

“We can help with the facilities, but we have no say over the way the office is run or the jail is run. I appreciate your feelings, I appreciate your work and I respect it.”

“If you can’t do anything, then I guess we’re going to have to file a law suit,” Robbins said. “Conditions need to change.”

“I applaud what you’re doing,” commissioner John Lumley said. “Whatever you need to do, I understand that.”

“Please, continue the dialogue,” Basse said.