The LePage administration state budget proposal has removed all funding for the Downeast Correctional Facility (DCF) in Machiasport. If the budget is passed, the facility could be closed by June. The closure will mean the loss of approximately 50 jobs and the stoppage of services it provides to the communities in the area. The facility has faced closure before, but like a prizefighter who has been knocked down it keeps getting up with the help of legislative negotiations and community support.
     In September 1984 the state purchased the ground the DCF now occupies and adapted the buildings to house inmates in what was classified then as a minimum‑security facility. The prison began receiving inmates in June 1985. The facility currently employs 50 people and houses approximately 140 inmates.
     One proposal being floated by the governor's office is to close the facility and have the current prisoner population released and monitored with ankle bracelets, placing them under the supervision of probation and parole officers. Department of Corrections Commissioner Joseph Fitzpatrick met with employees on January 12 and stated if the budget goes through and the facility closes the department would try its best to relocate personnel to other correction facilities within the state. The proposed budget plan is an effort to save $5 million, and the closing of the DCF and adding to the correctional facility in Windham is part of that plan.
     Both Rep. Will Tuell of East Machias and Senator Joyce Maker of Calais say it is very early in the process and they are already formulating a response in support of both the DCF and potential alternatives to the closing of the facility. "I do not support closing the prison and have fought against it ever since I've been here. I think it is bad for our area, bad for the workers at the prison, bad for area employers and, from the sounds of it, a recipe for disaster should they actually release 150 convicted felons onto the street with only ankle bracelets. Our whole delegation is fighting this and will continue to do so," Tuell says.
     Senator Maker says, "It was very disappointing to see the attempt again in this budget to close the prison. There was supposed to be a study completed to review DCF and its value to Washington County and to the State of Maine. I asked if the study was available but was told that it was not complete as of yet. The prison and its employees are valuable to our area. It will take away a needed work force for many businesses and important community services to surrounding communities."
     In speaking with many people throughout the area, multiple themes were being repeated and comparisons made between the DCF and, surprisingly, the University of Maine at Machias (UMM). Both are viewed as essential elements to the community because of the employment and services provided. Both have struggled for survival, and both are viewed as places of education; UMM serves the student population in pursuit of a career, and the DCF trains those incarcerated through projects within the community in preparation for their eventual return to society.
     Machias Town Manager Christina Therrien, who hopes to join a group traveling to Augusta to speak with the governor's office, says, "The Downeast Correctional Facility is one of the most cost-efficient facilities in the Maine system. The inmate program provides countless hours of labor to our nonprofit organizations and municipalities. They assisted us when we moved the town office to its current location, and they make the toys that are handed out to children at Christmas. Their help has saved the taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in our community alone. The idea of closing this facility doesn't make sense when you examine the facts."
     Sharon Mack, who serves as the director for the Machias Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and is UMM's public relations liaison, knows first hand the impact both institutions have on the area. "I cannot adequately stress the negative impact to Washington County if DCF is closed, not only for the immediate loss of 50-plus jobs, but the wider ripple effect that will be felt at the cash registers in every business in Washington County," Mack says. "So many towns and nonprofits have relied and thrived on the help offered by inmates -- painting, repairing, renovating -- that these groups could not themselves afford. The renovation of the Machias 1898 train station, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was accomplished using entirely inmate labor. In addition, the psychological effect on the people of Washington County cannot be discounted. Blow after blow, disappointment after disappointment, takes a huge toll on such an isolated population."
      Craig Smith worked at the DCF for 29 years and managed the welding program. He is now retired and living at Gardner's Lake and states the amount of work performed by the inmates is hard to comprehend. He says, "This program was involved in the building and fabrication of over 40 fire trucks. We did this not only here, but also in towns such as Perry, Calais, Whiting and Lubec. We saved these towns a considerable amount of money, and we also provided the inmates with a marketable skill they could build on when released. To this day I receive letters from inmates thanking the DCF for the treatment and education they received."
     Bobby Ingalls, a Machiasport resident and fisherman, expresses what he believes many in the fishing community are feeling. He says, "The DCF does a lot for our town crew on the trucks. They mow the cemeteries and participate in many other public works projects that will have to be made up in some way with tax dollars if this facility closes."