Carbon County officials have temporarily suspended transferring county inmates to other counties unless it is court ordered.

On Wednesday, the county prison board voted to suspend inmate transports until the board’s May meeting unless further ordered by the courts. The courts are currently suspending full operations until May 1, under a directive by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, which expires April 30.

Warden Timothy Fritz said that approximately 25 counties have already suspended the inmate transfers as a way to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and urged the board to do the same.

Sheriff Tony Harvilla, president of the prison board, said the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has already stopped transferring state inmates and noted that neighboring Monroe County has also temporarily suspended the transfers.

“I personally think it is a good idea,” Harvilla said.

President Judge Roger Nanovic said the courts are already utilizing video conferencing for pleas and sentencing of those who are incarcerated and are not requiring them to be brought to the courthouse.

He noted that most of the surrounding counties have also set up video conferencing when Carbon has a person incarcerated in another county and hoped Carbon would reciprocate the measure if there is an inmate in Carbon with charges in another county.

Fritz said they are doing that at the prison and have two areas set up for video conferencing.

The transfer suspension may be extended, the board said pending the recommendations of the courts and state regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In other prison matters, Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said that the work release committee met virtually two weeks ago and is working to update the work release policy to better enhance the program.

Once the policy is updated it will go to the board for further review and consideration.

The prison board also voted to begin putting up draft agendas of prison board meetings at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

This follows suit with the action the commissioners took to put county commissioner meeting draft agendas on the county website ahead of the meeting.

Fritz will also complete a survey by the state on how much is being spent at the prison in regards to the COVID-19 response. The survey may lead to grant money being made available to prisons in the future.