Two thermal body scanners that were recently purchased to keep contraband out of the county prison are expected to be delivered in the next few weeks.

Warden Beau Sneddon told the prison board Tuesday, March 19, the scanners are scheduled to be delivered in three to four weeks, and their locations have been determined.

One will be at the intake area where new inmates are processed, and the other will be placed in the government center where deputy sheriffs will use it to scan people they are escorting from court to the prison, Sneddon said.

Two days of training to use the scanners will be provided to corrections officers and deputy sheriffs, and a policy governing the use of the scanners will be presented to the board next month, he said. The scanners also detect COVID-19, officials said.

Last month, the county commissioners accepted a $337,000 federal grant to purchase the scanners from Tek84 of California. Training and equipment setup are included in the cost.

The prison does not have a body scanner at this time.