AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci is requesting $5.2 million to address the overcrowding in the state’s prisons over the next 15 months, but members of the Legislature’s Appropriations Committee made it clear Friday they want a long-term plan, not a short-term fix.

“I’d be willing to look at the money if there is a plan that came forward,” said Rep. Jeremy Fischer, D-Presque Isle, House chairman of the committee. “But until that happens, I will not vote for it. So people need to get on a horse and get a plan done before we vote on the budget.”

Corrections Commissioner Martin Magnusson outlined to the panel an immediate response to the overcrowding at the state’s facilities that would provide additional space for 325 inmates. The state has 2,300 inmates in all of its adult facilities.

“We cannot solve this within the state,” he said.

Magnusson is proposing that 125 medium security inmates be sent to a private prison, likely one in Oklahoma, as soon as possible. In addition, he is proposing that an unused building at the Charleston Correctional Facility be opened to house 55 minimum security inmates.

Under the plan, the state also would send 50 minimum security prisoners to county jails that have space available.

With facilities to hold 70 women but with 140 female prisoners, Magnusson proposed shifting as many of them as possible to halfway homes with supervised confinement.

“I think there is frustration because the long-term solution always appears to be on the horizon,” said Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, the Senate chairman of the panel. “We never quite seem to get there.”

The need for a long-term solution was echoed by members of both parties on the committee. Rep. Sawin Millett, R-Waterford, the ranking GOP member on the panel, said after the meeting that he hopes the department got the message that it needs to develop a plan.

“I don’t think any of us dispute that there is a crowding problem and that it is serious,” he said. “We were searching and hoping for a longer-term solution than one that simply gets us through the calendar year.”

Several committee members asked questions about the proposal and what might serve as elements of a long-term plan. Rep. Janet Mills, D-Farmington, questioned why more inmates could not be housed in county jails instead of being sent out of state.

“They are looking at taking minimum security beds that have nine months or less,” Magnusson replied, referring to the counties. “We have got to find a place for our long-term, more dangerous inmates, and the counties are not the solution to that.”

Members of the Legislature’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee defended Magnusson at the meeting, saying they had told him to focus on a short-term solution after they had visited the facilities.

“We understand the need for a long-term plan. We have talked with the commissioner and staff about that,” said Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham, the co-chairman of the panel. “We have been looking at this for the last 21/2 months.”

Rep. Richard Sykes, R-Harrison, is the lead GOP member on the criminal justice panel. He agreed with Diamond and said the Legislature has to share the blame for the overcrowding.

“We just came down here from a hearing on another bill to provide for enhanced penalties,” he said. “Maybe we do need to put a fiscal note on these bills so we know what they will cost before we pass them.”

Legislation that spends money or incurs a financial obligation requires a fiscal note that estimates the cost. But legislation that increases penalties for a crime does not require an estimate of how much it will cost.

Rep. Jayne Giles, R-Belfast, asked Magnusson to explain the long-term options he has already developed. She was interested in the possible takeover of the county jails by the state that would save the state money over the long run.

“We were asked by Criminal Justice to put all options on the table,” the commissioner said. “The counties do currently have excess capacity, and we would be able to close some of those facilities if we took over the system, and that generates significant savings.”

Magnusson said that option would mean no new jail construction by the state or the counties would be needed. In addition, the state would have the flexibility to make some jails medium security. Magnusson also said there would be some property tax relief from the move.

“The counties, all together, spend about $80 million a year on the jails,” he said. “That’s property tax money.”

The Appropriations Committee set a target of completing work on the budget in early May.