Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter announced Wednesday that plans are in place to consolidate all out of that county inmates in facilities closer to Wichita over the next few months.

He says contracts have been signed with Butler, Chase, Cowley and Sumner counties in order to accomplish this endeavor. They believe transportation costs will be decreased by savings in overtime, fuel, and vehicle maintenance. He adds that moving the inmates closer allows for returning them for court appearances more quickly and also makes them more accessible for their legal counsel.

With the new contracts comes a change related to what personal property the inmates will be allowed to transport with them out of county.

The changes will take effect on Monday, July 15th, for inmates leaving the facility. Since many inmates have already been housed for extended periods in other counties, those inmates will be advised of the change so they can reduce the amount of their personal property in advance of their return date.

As of Thursday, August 15th, inmates being returned from out of county facilities will be allowed to bring back with them only the above listed items. This will also allow time for the out of county facilities to adjust to our new procedures.

By instituting limits on the amount of personal property sent out and returned with inmates it will speed up searches and reduce hiding spots for contraband that could enter the Sedgwick County Detention Facility.