The Butler County Prison will be strengthening the employee gym.

The county prison board on Tuesday approved spending $3,500 from inmate commissary funds to pay half the cost of new equipment for the workout room.

The money would match $3,500 raised by corrections officers and other county workers who use the gym in the South Washington Street prison.

County Commissioner Jim Eckstein, who is a prison board member, said the corrections officers deserve an adequately equipped gym due to them being unable to leave the building on their breaks.

“The guards can’t leave,” Eckstein said.

He pointed out people can be injured by old equipment.

“I think it’s real important we do this,” Eckstein said.

Warden Rick Shaffer agreed, saying the 27-foot-by-37-foot gym already has gone through two treadmills.

Shaffer, who was one of the people who originally donated equipment for the gym when the current prison opened in 2009, said it’s time to buy new equipment.

He said in an interview the employees discussed buying cardio equipment, but nothing was finalized.

The officers and other county employees, including probation officers, pitched in $50 each to raise $3,500.

“Everybody was receptive,” Shaffer said at the meeting.

He said it’s not an issue for employees not stationed in the prison to use the gym because they are there during times all corrections officers are on duty.

“As long as it’s not disruptive,” Shaffer said.

The commissary fund has nearly $508,000. Shaffer said money from that fund may be used for such an expense.

The county commissioners must approve the purchase of the equipment.

District Attorney Richard Goldinger and county Judge William Shaffer, prison board members, agreed the county should include gym equipment costs in future budgets.

The 2015 total prison budget is $11.3 million.