11/15/2007
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Staff photo by David Leamingfrom the Kennebec Journal
Finding shelter for those who serve their nation
Immigrant recalls her special greeting
State gains $85M in Homeland Security funds
Man arrested after swerve toward cop
School unit in limbo
Rain? What rain?
LEE LATCHES ON WITH THOMAS
Modern camping equipment takes it to the extreme
All of today's:
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from the Kennebec Journal
from the Morning Sentinel
Civil War-era flag finds honored position
Residents wonder if the rain will ever go away
FAIRFIELD Sewage plant rejection irks man
Winslow's fireworks guy doesn't mind the obscurity
At holiday derby, the fun is catching
Vets' champion 'very passionate' about her work
Hersom deals with change
Sandals work for outdoor types
All of today's:
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from the Morning Sentinel
The extra beds -- an additional housing pod -- would cost roughly $4 million, but the money wouldn't come from Somerset County taxpayers, who have already seen their taxes rise significantly due to the jail project.
Instead, another county would pay for the construction and, in return, get additional capacity at a bargain price at a time when jails across the state are filled to over-capacity.
Androscoggin Sheriff Guy Desjardins, whose jail was over capacity by roughly 30 inmates a few weeks ago, said the idea has strong appeal.
"Economically, it makes all the sense in the world," said Desjardins.
Desjardins first heard of the idea at a Maine County Commissioners Association meeting from Somerset Commissioner Philip Roy. Roy said the possibility of building the extra pod is still in the discussion phase, but he said at least some counties seem genuinely interested.
Androscoggin does not have any immediate need for new space, although Desjardins said it is not too soon to thinking about more beds.
After opening in 1990, Androscoggin's jail is now at or near capacity with expansion at the present site in downtown Auburn difficult if not impossible.
Desjardins said his county is lucky that it doesn't have to board out prisoners at other county jails.
"For us to stick our head in the sand and say we are good for another 20 years, that is not reality," said Desjardins.
And once the county does have to start sending its prisoners away, he said, costs could mount quickly.
If he were boarding 30 prisoners a day at $100 an inmate, for example, Desjardins said, his county would be paying roughly $1 million a year, not including transportation costs.
Compared with that scenario, or going to voters to raise the $30 million needed to build a new facility, Desjardins said buying additional capacity at another facility like Somerset County's new jail looks cheap.
Roy said that at a time when county jails are under fire -- Gov. John Baldacci has proposed the state take over county jails and create a consolidated corrections system including both prisons and jails -- counties need to be giving regional cooperation more thought.
"We need to act as a unit. All the counties need to start thinking and working together," said Roy.
The new Somerset County Jail will have the infrastructure necessary to support new beds, he said.
Any county that wants additional bed space would have to pay for building the new pod, but it would avoid much of the other costs associated with a new jail, including adding utilities, buying land and space for booking and medical services.
Somerset County could save money by sharing the overall cost of operations with another partner.
Roy said the idea is only in the discussion phase and he said he is still calculating costs.
In the long run, he said, regional approaches like the one Somerset County is considering simply make sense.
"It is a lot easier for two counties to operate a facility than one alone," said Roy.
Alan Crowell -- 474-9534, Ext. 342
acrowell@centralmaine.com
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I do not trust Bacldacci nor his merry henchmen, they remind me of the Mafia. He has done little if anything to better this state. Maine is on the verge of bankruptcy and they do not know how to control spending.
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