(1) When the county commissioners of any county shall have made provision for the expenses of supporting and guarding, while at work on the public roads, a larger number of prisoners than can be supplied from that county, upon the application of the county commissioners of such county, the county commissioners of any other county which has not otherwise provided for the working of its prisoners or otherwise disposed of its prisoners, or may hereafter dispose of its prisoners, shall deliver to said county or counties applying for same, in the order of their application, such prisoners as may be confined in the county jail or hereafter be sentenced to such county jail.
(2) Provided, that the cost of guarding and maintaining such prisoners shall be paid by the county applying for and receiving the same and any and all such prisoners from such other counties may at any time be returned to the sheriff of such other counties at the expense of the county having received and used them; provided, further, that no prisoners shall be sent out of the county in which they have been convicted and sentenced to work to any other county unless a contract for that purpose shall have been entered into by the boards of county commissioners of the respective counties, and arrangements made for their safekeeping, proper care, and safe return by the employing counties to the county or counties from which such prisoners were sentenced.
