The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is planning to implement a new inmate communication system for the Detention Center.

Lincoln County Sheriff Shane Johnson says there are several companies that manufacture communications for inmates. He says they had a company for the last 12 or 13 years and decided it was time to switch to a new business. He says one big difference is now each inmate will get a tablet that will be assigned to them.

“That allows them to communicate with family and allows them to do video calls,” Johnson said. “It allows them to keep that communication because we believe that family communication is important for their well-being.”

He says they also can order commissary off it and write letters. He says they can submit complaints and have some form of entertainment. He says they will also have access to different educational material.

He says not to mistake this new technology as if the inmates “got it really good”. He reminds the public that they did a Slammer Sleepover event where the public was invited to stay one night.

“We haven’t had any repeat offenders, I can tell you that,” Johnson said.

He says there is a responsibility, and the Wyoming Constitution even lays it out that they are not responsible to punish them. He says a judge or jury sentenced them; it is their job to take care of them.

“If you have 60 males sitting with nothing to do, it’s not healthy for them,” Johnson said. “It’s not a healthy environment for our detention officers. So, we try and keep them busy.”

He says they do all kinds of activities. He says some state inmates have crafts like art, leather working, knitting, etc. He says they don’t put people in a corner because you are being punished.

“The punishment is you lost all your freedoms,” Johnson said. “We want to encourage them to continue to grow while they are there.”

He says this system will also allow an inmate’s family to kind of see what’s going on and watch them grow as well.