Carbon County officials are ensuring the chance of drugs getting into the prison continues to get smaller.

On Thursday, commissioners approved a quote from Access Control Systems Inc. of Milford, New Hampshire, to purchase an Ionscan 600 for the correctional facility.

The cost is $47,310.94, which includes the machine, training for 10 people, a three-year warranty and shipping. The company hopes to deliver the machine in a few months.

The county initially approved the purchase with another company in January, but due to delivery issues moved on to another company.

Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein said that the machine will be used to detect any drugs that may be brought in via mail or on people.

“Hopefully it will help reduce the amount of drugs brought into the prison,” he said, noting that everyone, including employees, will have to walk through the scanner upon entering the building.

The commissioners said that current procedures that have been put in place have helped decrease the amount of contraband that gets to inmates, but Nothstein said that people have been getting creative at smuggling drugs in or even brewing their own hooch in their cell.

“It’s amazing what they do in prison,” he said. “It’s really creative, but they got a lot of time to be creative.”

Over the years, prison staff have discovered several interesting ways of how inmates were getting drugs into the prison, from hiding drugs under stamps to where they stash stuff on their body.

“We’re learning the tricks of the trade,” Nothstein said, adding that officers are better trained, searches are more thorough and staff is monitoring items sent in closer.

The county also purchased a full-body scanner a few years ago to help with this effort.

Commissioner Rocky Ahner said that the efforts the county has put in place, both to make sure contraband isn’t coming in, as well as services to help those recover from addiction, must be working.

The number of inmates in the prison has dropped over the last three years from around 265 to approximately 135 now.

He said that this scanner is going to further help the matter.

The action came on the recommendation of the county prison board, which met last Wednesday.

County Solicitor Robert Frycklund said at that time that the previous company referred the county back to Access Control Systems, the regional distributor.