Seventy-two hours of freedom for some male inmates at York County Prison has come to an end as bedbugs at the Concord Road facility were eradicated.

About 90 male work-release inmates who were furloughed during the cleaning and spraying process returned on schedule to the trailers that house them, said Mary Sabol, the prison warden.

"Nobody skipped out," she said. "They all came back."

The inmates were allowed back into the trailers Sunday after being furloughed Thursday.

That allowed prison staff to clean out the trailers and dismantle bunks before an exterminator sprayed to kill the bugs.

Sabol said the efforts eliminated the bedbug problem, but additional measures will be taken to make sure the infestation is gone.

"They (the extermination company) will check back over the next week or two ... to make sure they didn't miss anything," Sabol said.

The furlough did not affect female work-release inmates.

Second sighting: Bedbugs were initially not found inside the main prison building, but were isolated to several work-release trailers located outside the main facility.

However, a female inmate reported finding bedbugs in her cell inside the prison on Friday, Sabol said.

The inmate was removed from the cell, showered and given clean clothing as prison staff cleaned the cell and replaced the bedding. The cell is for new inmates.

"I believe the two incidents are unrelated," Sabol said.

Furlough: The first case of bedbugs was reported to prison staff about two weeks ago and was initially believed to be isolated to one area.

Prison staff conducted localized extermination, but a subsequent inspection by an exterminator found a broader presence of the bugs.

About 150 male prisoners live in the work-release housing. The 90 prisoners permitted to leave are employed with private companies, while the remaining 60 work for the county in some capacity and were moved to different locations within the facility as necessary during the extermination process.

Sabol said it's not uncommon to find bedbugs in places such as prisons, considering the number of people who are housed there.

They've been found "in five-star hotels and resorts and their presence is not determined by the cleanliness of the living conditions where they are found," according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The bedbugs at the prison are believed to have been brought into the work-release housing by a prisoner or prisoners.

"I hope we're putting this to rest," Sabol said.

- Reach Greg Gross at ggross@yorkdispatch.com.