PARIS – A prisoner swap between Cumberland and Oxford counties is expected to save Oxford thousands of dollars.

Cumberland County Jail has held Christian C. Nielsen since Sept. 8 when Nielsen allegedly clubbed an Oxford jail inmate with a mop wringer, prompting the move to the Portland jail, which has segregation cells.

Nielsen is awaiting trial on charges of gunning down four people last Labor Day weekend in Newry.

On Thursday, Cumberland County officials agreed to send one of their prisoners to the Paris jail, saving Oxford County the $103-a-day boarding charge for Nielsen.

Oxford County already has paid Cumberland about $15,000 to house Nielsen.

“We’re so pleased Cumberland County agreed to this,” Oxford County Sheriff Wayne Gallant said.

The county struck the deal after Gallant took office Jan. 1 and suggested the exchange.

Jail administrator Capt. Ernest Martin said Oxford County regularly trades prisoners with the York County Jail, but never had with Cumberland.

At first, Cumberland County was not responsive, he said, but later the jail’s administrator called him and offered Clinton Drake III, 32, of Portland.

“They’re doing us a favor,” Martin said. “I don’t know why it didn’t occur to us to do this earlier.”

Besides the attack in the Oxford County Jail, which Martin reported was unprovoked, Nielsen gashed himself on his head with a disposable razor Dec. 5, leaving a mark in the shape of an “X,” officials said. He was placed on suicide watch, but later taken off, jail officials said previously.

He is not expected to go to trial until October.

“It would cost $36,000 or $37,000 a year” to house him at the Cumberland County jail without the exchange, Gallant said. “This is money we didn’t have.”

Drake is in the middle of a nine-month sentence for habitual offender motor vehicle charges. His time is up at the beginning of the summer, when Martin said he hopes Cumberland will send someone else.

Drake is low-management inmate, Martin said. He started off as minimum security but was later bumped up to medium after scuffles with other inmates.

“They thought (moving him) gave him a fresh start,” Martin said.

Oxford County officials will be responsible for transporting Nielsen to medical appointments and court proceedings, and Cumberland County will maintain that responsibility for Drake.

Nielsen, 31, is accused of slaying and mutilating the bodies of James Whitehurst, 50, of Batesville, Ark., a guest at the Black Bear Bed & Breakfast in Newry; Julie Bullard, 65, the inn owner; Selby Bullard, 30, the owner’s daughter, and Cindy Beatson, 43, of Bethel, Selby’s friend, from Sept. 1 to 4.

Nielsen lived at the Black Bear at the time and worked as a cook at an inn in Bethel. He pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.