11/15/2007
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Staff photo by David Leamingfrom the Kennebec Journal
Sport of Kings
New Medicaid billing system inspires doubts among some
Christmas spirit
Guidance counselor: Dismiss complaint based on criticism of same-sex marriage
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Trust eyes orchard purchase
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Bonenfant rises up Cony ranks
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
All of today's:
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from the Kennebec Journal
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YES ON 1 BACKER REBUTS CLAIM
New system for Medicaid payments worries providers
After petition drive, Clinton police force budget will go a third time before voters
A rock musician makes trip home via Black Taxi
MADISON: After revaluation, abatement requests reviewed
Parks to have facelift
GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Sweet does job for Madison
YOUTH SOCCER: Local team gives 'care package' to children in Afghanistan
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
Reader comments
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Until the state prison system debacle is settled I would recommend not doing anything more than is already underway. We do not know what Baldacci and his merry henchman have planned. A sad state of affairs.
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I couldn’t agree with you more, but we are in this mess due to the fact that 1. Maine Government needs our beds and wants them with out paying for them, 2. CAAC report that the state of Maine taxpayers paid $300,000 dollars for makes it clear that Counties have to work together to do corrections, we have no idea what the State of Maine will do and I’m not going to sit by and wait and see. I agree with the CAAC report that makes in clear we need a more regional approach to corrections, not Centralization as the Governor wants. Somerset County should never had to build a jail alone, there should have been some way to make other Counties join on board, Franklin County is looking at overcrowding, Piscataquis County is looking at overcrowding, Penobscot needs to put on more beds now. If we do not start acting like a system instead of 15 different systems we will all fail? None of the above counties should go it alone nor should Somerset County go it alone. We need to think smarter and more out of the box, Somerset County is about to take on 8 to 10 towns out side its area for dispatch, it’s a win for Somerset and it’s a win for each of those towns. Stop thinking in your shell brake out and see how other states work with low taxes.
The Governor does have one thing right we need to start working as a system, we disagree on his system but he is right its time to work together not as 15 units. report abuse
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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