Jails in the middle

There are no public buildings in Maine that produce as much constant consternation as county jails. The cause of all the commotion is rarely the inmate population, largely content with their three hots and a cot, but those on the outside – legislators, county and municipal officials and, of course, the taxpaying public.

In most counties, the cost of running a jail amounts to one-half or more of the county budget. Annual increases to corrections budgets of 10 percent or higher are the norm, due to increasing state and federal requirements for everything from mandatory sentences to mandatory programs in education and counseling services, and the current sharp spike in health care coverage (for inmates as well as employees) adds to the dilemma. Despite all the money going into county corrections, corrections officers are among the lowest-paid public employees in the state, with high turnover rates the costly result.

The most costly result, however, is the constant squabbling between the three levels of government with county jails caught in the middle, squabbling that is reaching a new noise level in this, a year of recession and tighter budgets. The Legislature, author of mandates, is ultimately responsible for the problem – and, one would suppose, the solution – yet it seems ready to assume the role of innocent bystander as county and municipal officials fight it out. This is sadly reminiscent of the recession of a decade ago, when lawmakers balanced their budget in part by reneging on the state’s reimbursement for boarding its prisoners at county jails. The shortfall to the jails – $100,000 or more in lost revenue – elevated county/municipal distrust to a new level that continues today.

Today, the Legislature seems to agree that the cost of county jails has reached a crisis, but, as luck would have it, the recession prevents the state from doing anything about it. Several bills to increase the state share of funding, to develop new funding sources through inmate surcharges and to vigorously pursue such money-saving remedies as alternative sentencing were proposed by lawmakers who understand the issue, such as Sens. Michael McAlevey of Waterboro and Lynn Bromley of South Portland, but legislative leadership deemed none of them worthy of consideration this short session.

Only one bill remains active – a bill (prepare not to be shocked) to study the problem. If the problem had not already been studied ad nauseam, if the impact of mandates were not already known down to the cent, if the conflict between counties and municipalities were not already so apparent, this study would be a good idea. They have been and they are, so it’s not.

The glaring flaw in the Legislature’s “it’s the recession” excuse for doing nothing substantive is that Maine has just been though a glorious economic boom and years of revenue surpluses and yet it did nothing to solve a problem for which it is substantially responsible. Now, fiscal constraints leave lawmakers powerless but to conduct a study. The scope of that study will encompass such issues as regional consolidation, jail overcrowding, alternative sentences and court caseloads. Whether this study results in real solutions or is merely the appearance of activity will only be known at some future date – like the next recession.