$20 million jail faces questions after escape

PORTLAND – A pre-opening inspection of the new York County Jail found that an outdoor recreation area that an inmate used as an escape route should have been off-limits.

Ralph Nichols, state director of jail inspections, said a vulnerability in the chain-link fence that enclosed the recreation area was noted when the jail was inspected before its January opening.

Michael Barbaria, 26, of Biddeford escaped this week from the $20 million jail. He was arrested Wednesday at a Saco apartment about 21 hours after he scaled an outdoor basketball hoop and pried open and crawled through a chain-link fence to freedom.

Nichols said such fencing has been a problem at other jails.

“You can just pop the fence away from the braces,” said Nichols.

York County Sheriff Philip Cote said he knew the fence was a problem, but was unaware of the state’s recommendation to close the recreation area.

He said it appears that several of the 55 inmates in Barbaria’s area might have blocked the guard’s view of the basketball hoop and might have helped hoist Barbaria onto the backboard.

From there Barbaria climbed to a chain-link fence topped by razor wire. He pried open the links and jumped to the ground.

Cote said staffers had been waiting for better weather to install metal plates to make the fence impenetrable. He said original plans calling for more secure fencing were abandoned to keep the jail on budget.

“It was decided we would just cut some corners” rather than asking taxpayers for money, he said. The plates and more razor wire are now being installed.