Carbon County is working to digitize medical files as well as continue a drug and alcohol counseling program at its prison.

On Thursday, the county commissioners voted on three items related to the Carbon County Correctional Facility.The first action approved an agreement with Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission to provide 40 hours per week drug and alcohol treatment services at the prison for 2016 at a cost of $54,000. Carbon is currently operating the same program through the commission at the prison for the same cost.The agreement provides services to inmates who are identified and entered into the counseling program. Officials have said in the past that the counseling helps get those who are addicted the help they need while incarcerated and helps them when they are transitioning back into the community by setting up counseling programs.The second and third actions involve telephone service and inmate medical records.The commissioners voted to approve an amendment with Global Tel*Link Corp. for an additional five years for the inmate telephone service; as well as approve software licensing and operating support guidelines with Diamond Drugs Inc., doing business as Diamond Pharmacy Services of Indiana, Pennsylvania, for software by Sapphire Health LLC. There is no cost to the county for the Sapphire software.Eloise Ahner, county administrator, said that Global Tel*Link and Sapphire will be working hand in hand.The Sapphire Program will create a more cohesive plan for medical records of the inmates.The program uses digital files on laptops rather than paper files to track medications, doctor visits and all necessary medical information for inmates. It is then interfaced with the jailhouse management program and allows the county to provide the courts with reports on statistics about the overall mental health picture at the prison, as well as other ailments.Ahner said that once all software is installed, the medical staff will be trained. The county hopes to begin using Sapphire at the beginning of the year.In other matters, the county commissioners voted to approve the distribution of $20,357.59 from the city of Bethlehem to school districts and townships where Bethlehem Water Authority owns property. The payments are in lieu of taxes for 2015. The breakdown of payment: Jim Thorpe Area School District, $8,528.30; Palmerton Area School District, $5,046.86; Penn Forest Township, $355.34; Towamensing Township, $304.29; Lower Towamensing Township, $4.70; and Carbon County, $6,118.10.The commissioners also discussed or acted on the following items:• Adopted a proclamation naming November as Epilepsy Awareness Month in Carbon County. Epilepsy is a neurological disease characterized by recurring seizures. One in 26 people develop epilepsy in their lifetime and more than 209,000 Pennsylvanians currently lives with this disease.• Commissioner Thomas J. Gerhard announced that the Carbon County Animal Shelter received $987 from the White Haven Veterinarian Hospital for attending its recent fundraiser.• Announced that the county is now registered as an intervener with regards to the proposed PennEast pipeline. Interveners are allowed to post comments and question actions with regard to the project.