A group of midcoast counties is looking to hire consultants to help streamline services across the three jails in the region to help reduce their costs so that they can continue to operate amid frequent funding challenges.
On Friday, representatives from Waldo, Knox, Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties will come together to finalize the decision to hire the consultants for a combined cost of roughly $100,000, according to Lincoln County Administrator Carrie Kipfer.
If they agree to it, Waldo and Knox counties would each pay $32,000 for the service, and Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties would each pay $19,000, Kipfer said. The work would then likely start in February.
The funding of Maine’s jails has been a continuing challenge for county governments and has led to calls to close and consolidate some of them in the past. Midcoast officials say the consultant would help reduce expenses for jail operations while keeping them open.
The midcoast counties have struggled for years to secure adequate funding for their jails in Wiscasset, Rockland and Belfast, and finding staff has become a problem since the COVID pandemic, Kipfer said.
To make up for this, the counties already cooperate on some regional initiatives. For example, since there are comparatively few female inmates in the region, all women are sent to the Knox County Correctional Facility.
And since Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset is divided into so-called pods that require fewer corrections officers, general population inmates are typically sent there, while those who need more supervision are sent to Knox County.
But, Kipfer said, the region is seeking more guidance on how to better use its facilities. The consultants will include assessors from SMRT Inc., as well as former midcoast correctional administrator and police officer Wayne Applebee.
They will assess the infrastructure at all three locations, determine the best use of the facilities, project future bed space and review state requirements.
Natasha Irving, the district attorney for all four of those counties, said she supports the proposal, in part because it could help free up funding for important initiatives such as substance use disorder treatment, access to education and access to family.
“I also believe that our jails need to meet the needs of the folks who are in them, both workers and residents,” Irving said. “We also know that, though jail should be avoided at all times possible, when folks are there they need to be living in dignified and safe conditions, and have access to supports and enrichment in order to have the best chances at success after leaving the facility.”
