"A perfect storm of opportunity," Chris Gardner, chairman of the Washington County commissioners, called the simultaneous needs both the county and the state have for new lockup facilities in Washington County. In a meeting on August 10 called by Denise Lord, deputy corrections commissioner, about 25 officials and interested members of the public began a discussion that could lead to a joint effort to relieve overcrowded and substandard conditions at both the county jail in Machias and the state prison in Bucks Harbor.
While officials acknowledged there are legal obstacles to housing state and county inmates together, they agreed a partnership might be possible with careful planning. Prisoners at the jail are typically awaiting adjudication of criminal charges, while those incarcerated at the state prison have been tried and are serving sentences imposed by the court. However, the construction of separate facilities that employ a common staff might meet legal requirements while also achieving "economies of scale" in construction and operating costs. At least, the participants agreed, the idea is worth exploring.
While the meeting was the first formal gathering of "stakeholders" -- county and state corrections and political officials, economic development advocates, prison employee representatives -- all agreed on the need to move quickly to complete a feasibility study and needs assessment so that specific recommendations can be made to the appropriate legislative committees as early as this fall.
Ralph Nichols, an inspector with the Department of Corrections, Sheriff Donnie Smith and Mark Caton, director of the Downeast Correctional Facility at Bucks Harbor, were charged with gathering information on projected population sizes for presentation to the exploratory committee at their next meeting, August 23. Additional data to be collected -- including projected square footage, potential sites, construction and operating costs -- will be needed by the end of October for a planned presentation to the legislature by November.
While no costs could be estimated without the needs assessment, Nichols said the rule of thumb for prison construction is $115 thousand per cell, or about $28 million for a prison of 250 cells. Annual operating costs, he said would be developed after the minimum staffing level is determined. The cost of building a prison, he warned, is only about 10% of the "lifetime cost of the facility."
How to finance construction is another question to be faced, Nichols said. Possibilities include the issuance of bonds with voter approval, a lease purchase agreement in which the state and county could be "tenants" of another agency that owned the facility, the sale of existing facilities, or some combination of options. The Washington County Development Authority (WCDA), a public municipal corporation whose members are appointed by the governor, has expressed interest in funding the construction of a prison that would be leased by the state.
Other issues raised at the meeting include concerns for the jobs of some 70 staff persons presently employed at Bucks Harbor. Some participants said they would want to keep the facility within a reasonable commuting distance to accommodate present employees. There was also the suggestion that Bucks Harbor residents "are used to the prison" and would not be likely to raise the political objections to a prison that might be cited in a community that has not experienced a prison in its midst.
The question of programs to serve the prison population was broached by several Department of Corrections members, who stated that the quality and quantity of programs for inmates directly affect the size and cost of staff, noting that inmates who are kept busy can usually be managed with fewer supervisory personnel.
Nancy Oden of Jonesboro has proposed that the prison include a large organic farm where prisoners would be trained in agricultural activities, and she was present to promote her idea. Others suggested the need for specialized programs for drug abusers and sex offenders. |
