State, Washington County officials talk jail

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MACHIAS – A joint county jail and state Department of Corrections facility in Washington County could become a reality if both sides can agree on their respective needs, a viable site and funding sources.

The collaboration would be the first of its kind in Maine and would be another big step toward reducing the problem of prison overcrowding in Maine.

Members of an exploratory committee met for the first time Friday to discuss the possibility of building a facility that could house both county inmates and state prisoners.

Although nothing was decided, Washington County officials and state representatives agreed to explore the matter further.

“I’m here at the request of the governor on what I think is a very exciting partnership,” Deputy Corrections Commissioner Denise Lord said at the beginning of the meeting. “Lots of people have interests and ideas and I’m open to hearing them. The ultimate proposal has to be something that county and state can endorse.”

Potential sites were among the topics discussed during Friday’s two-hour forum, which was attended by about 20 local and state leaders.

Several possibilities were offered, including rebuilding on the site of the existing state corrections facility in Bucks Harbor. However, Lord said, the first step would be to identify needs on both sides.

Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith and Downeast Correctional Facility Director Mark Caton were asked to put their heads together to identify their respective bed-space projections.

Those projections will be presented at the exploratory committee’s next meeting, Aug. 23 in Machias.

Ralph Nichols, state jail inspector for the Department of Corrections, set an aggressive timeline – the end of October – to present plans to the Legislature. The initial plans would include gross square footage, site selection and cost of the project, not just initial costs but annual operational costs.

“It’s important to remember the political reality of this,” he said. “We don’t want to go to the Legislature without estimating operational costs.”

Because needs have not been identified, a projected cost was not announced, but Nichols said the funding formula is about $115,000 per cell. For a 250-cell facility, that projects to about $28 million.

Lord expressed her desire to collaborate with Washington County and stressed Gov. John Baldacci’s support as well.

State Sen. Kevin Raye, R-Perry, said he felt comfortable that the Legislature would rally behind the idea.

“We’ll lead the charge on whatever legislation is necessary,” he said.

Washington County Commissioner Chris Gardner supported the partnership, but he said the county’s relationship with the Corrections Department is paramount.

“If it ever becomes a hindrance, the county is willing to bow out,” Gardner said. “If we can partner, great, but if we can’t, we don’t want to lose our relationship with the DOC.”

The state operates the Downeast Correctional Facility at the former Air Force station in Bucks Harbor. That prison is more than 20 years old and is “clearly falling apart,” according to Caton.

The Corrections Department had been planning to rebuild its prison in Washington County when the idea of a collaboration was floated. Sheriff Smith said the Washington County Jail isn’t in much better shape than the nearby state facility.

Although the committee supported a partnership, some concerns were brought up.

Gardner said that with recent changes in probation and parole, many inmates are serving lesser sentences at county jails. That means fewer prisoners at state facilities, but it has shifted the burden on the counties, many of which already have overcrowded jails.

He said a state-county collaboration would be fruitful, particularly if it results in a tax reduction for Washington County residents.

“Corrections is the lion’s share of our county budget,” Gardner said.

Many committee members also said the site would be critical, especially the political ramifications. For instance, although the Bucks Harbor site is limited in some ways, keeping a joint facility there would not introduce a corrections facility into a new community.

“Bucks Harbor is politically accepted now,” said Jim Parker of the Washington County Development Authority, which has volunteered to fund the project and then lease it to the state. “That facility employs 70 people, so if you build a new one, you don’t want to move it too far away.”

Programming options also were discussed, such as offering a therapeutic community for inmates with substance abuse or reintegration programs for sex offenders.

Nancy Oden, a political activist from Jonesboro who recently proposed the idea of creating a 100-acre organic farm where inmates would learn farming skills while incarcerated, also attended Friday’s meeting.

Oden’s idea was neither supported nor rejected.