Eric Hansen of Bangor has been named superintendent of the new Northern Maine Juvenile Facility in Charleston, according to Corrections Commissioner Martin A. Magnusson.

“Eric Hansen is a longtime and dedicated employee of the department,” Magnusson said in making the announcement. “He served as director of support services before becoming the acting director of the Charleston Correctional Facility. He brings experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to this job.”

As the first superintendent of the facility, Hansen will oversee the transition of the Charleston Correctional Facility into a full-service juvenile correctional facility.

“The superintendent’s position was created in advance of the construction of the new juvenile facility planned for Charleston,” said Mary Ann Saar, associate commissioner for juvenile services, “because both the department and the Legislature realized that strong and capable leadership will be necessary to accomplish the transition to a juvenile corrrectional facility.”

Hansen has twice taken on the responsibilities of acting director of the Charleston facility. Many of the community restitution projects that have been accomplished in the Greater Dover-Foxcroft-Charleston area have been under his management.

Hansen is a graduate of the University of Maine and has participated in national level training on juvenile issues through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, American Correctional Association, the National Institute of Corrections and other organizations. He has been employed by the Department of Corrections since 1985.