Two Utah prison employees charged with crimes

Two prison employees at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison have been charged with felonies in separate cases.

Joseph Cote was charged with a first-degree felony for distributing a controlled substance in a correctional facility. Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels said Cote was caught selling suboxone, an opioid, to inmates. Daniels said Cote would get the drugs from families of inmates outside the prison. He would then deliver the contraband to the inmates who would distribute the drugs. Daniels said Cote was caught after an investigation by the Department of Corrections.

Jolene Huseby, a teacher contracted by the prison, was charged with a third-degree felony for custodial relations. Daniels said Huseby was in a position of trust and power when she began a sexual relationship with an inmate. He said DOC investigators saw surveillance footage of non-sexual but inappropriate touching, such as extended touches on arms and legs, between Huseby and an inmate. The investigators looked into the matter and found that they were engaged in a sexual relationship.