Carbon County’s work release program has restarted its operations and is looking to expand its employer pool.

Last week, Carbon County Correctional Facility Warden Timothy Fritz told the prison board that the work release program, which had been temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had started back up with six people.

There was a slight snag though on day one, Fritz said, when one of the participants in the program brought drugs back to the prison when they returned from their job. That person, who was not named, was terminated from the program and further legal action regarding the incident is pending.

Fritz also said that work release director Frank Shubeck was meeting with another potential employer for work release inmates.

The prison is always looking for employers who would be willing to hire work release approved inmates.

In other matters, Fritz said that the prison received a donation of 650 masks from the Sheriffs Association.

“We have plenty of masks moving forward,” he said.

He also reported that the prison population as of last Wednesday was 166, with approximately 44 of those inmates being women.