Case closed

Gov. Angus King did a good thing last weekend in urging Washington County to make its case for being the location of a new state prison.

Then he did something even better: he made the county’s case for it.

Speaking in Eastport Saturday, the governor cited two of the very best reasons for keeping and expanding the Down East Correctional Facility in Bucks Harbor — DECF already is one of the most efficient in the system, and creating 400 jobs in a region with an employment rate among the state’s highest is a darn sight better than losing 70 jobs with a closure.

Maine must reform its prison system and the governor deserves praise for getting that reform under way. The state does not need eight separate facilities for its 1,500 adult prisoners. It cannot justify having the second-highest per inmate cost in the nation. It cannot continue to merely warehouse offenders. Consolidating facilities — two seems to be the operative number — will save money and enable the state to offer better rehabilitation programs.

The task force charged with developing a consolidation plan for the Legislature’s review next year got off to a predictable and unfortunate start this summer, when, without the benefit of having any members from Northern Maine, it began steering the two new prisons toward Windham and Warren, southerly communities with everything a prison needs except folks looking for work.

The consideration of Windham is especially puzzling since Cumberland County now has more work than workers — to the extent that employers there now are offering cash rewards for warm bodies. What chance does the state have of filling hundreds of stressful, potentially dangerous corrections jobs when nice, safe office gigs are going begging?

Washington County would love to have that kind of problem. Heck, Washington County would love to have its unemployment rate go below 10 percent and stay there for a while.

What’s working against the region is what’s always worked against it — location. Here’s the argument: Most of the inmates come from populous Southern Maine; they need access to the courts; their families would have a tough time on visiting day.

Machias has courts of both the superior and district variety. A family from Windham can drive to Bucks Harbor just as easily as vice versa. Washington County takes a pounding from the private sector on the location issue all the time. The state should not pile on. In short, of all the factors to be considered in locating a prison, convenience for criminals should be way down near the bottom of the list.

A couple of things in Bucks Harbor’s favor that the task force and the Legislature should consider: Real estate costs a lot less Down East than down south; private developers consider land costs on siting their big projects, the state should, too. The corrections system has a chronic problem with staff turnover; people in Washington County want to work, and when they get jobs, they keep them.

Gov. King is right: Washington County must unite, it must speak up. He told the Eastporters that, all other things being equal, he’d rather see the region gain 400 jobs than lose 70. His strong advocacy could do a lot to make all other things equal.