Maine lawmakers take part in battle over prison contracts

PORTLAND – Two Maine lawmakers with opposing viewpoints are in influential positions amid a congressional debate over whether to let private companies compete against federal prison inmates for service contracts.

At stake are hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts each year. Under federal law, prisons automatically are awarded jobs to provide roughly 300 services for the government, including textiles, furniture, electronics, metal products and graphics.

The goal is to teach prisoners valuable job skills so they can find work when released.

Democratic Rep. Tom Allen, who represents southern Maine’s 1st District, and Republican Sen. Susan Collins will help decide the issue from their positions on Armed Services committees.

Allen wants to stick with the prisoners-only policy, which he sees as a tool for rehabilitation.

“You might save a few pennies on a government contract and wind up with more released prisoners with no trade or skill,” Allen said. “I don’t think arguments that are based on where we are in the economic cycle should have a bearing on this measure. This is forever.”

Collins believes small businesses should get a chance to compete. She said the proposal to allow private bidding is reasonable because the Defense Department found cost and quality problems with the lack of competition.

Given prison wages of $1.25 per hour and federally subsidized health insurance, Collins said prisoners still would have advantages in bidding for contracts.

“I strongly believe that prisoners need education, skill development and work,” Collins said. “We can do that without shutting out small businesses from getting contracts.”

The debate is being monitored by some Maine businesses that believe they could benefit from an open bidding process.

Prisoners supplied an estimated $1 million to $2 million in furniture at a defense accounting center at the site of the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone.

Creative Office Pavilion would have liked a chance to bid on the contract, said Mark St. Clair, a senior vice president for the Portland company.

Creative Office Pavilion, which has 40 Maine employees, works with furniture companies that provide $14 million to $18 million in products to Maine customers.