- (a) Authority.— The county commissioners of any two or more adjoining counties may join in establishing, according to a plan, detention facilities for the confinement of persons awaiting trial or sentence on criminal charges, convicted on criminal charges or not otherwise eligible for confinement in other county correctional institutions.
- (b) Preapproval of plan by department.— Before establishing detention facilities, the counties shall submit their plan to the department for approval. The department may require, as a condition to approving any plan, that two or more adjoining counties join with another adjoining county to establish detention facilities.