Col. Mark Westrum, Chairman of the Maine Board of Corrections updated the Lincoln County Commissioners, Tuesday morning, on lawmakers’ decision to appoint a state corrections commission. The purpose of the commission is to review the management of the state’s unified jail system, the cost associated in funding the system, and the authority of the BOC.
According to HP 1132, the commission will meet six times, between September and December. They are required to present their final report to the Legislature’s Appropriation Committee by early December.
Membership on the commission will include Westrum and the Commissioner of Corrections. Other members will include three county commissioners, three county administrators, two jail administrators, two sheriffs, and a member of the public.
According to Westrum the member of the public is expected to be a retired judge, who could be the chairman of the Commission.
The nominees for these appointments were sent letters last week by the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The names of the perspective members have not been announced.
The county jails within the state operated independently until 2008 when legislation was passed to coordinate the county jails and the state prison system into one unified system. The legislation also capped the counties on what they could raise from taxes to support corrections.
The BOC was created to develop and implement a unified system.
Westrum told the Lincoln County Commissioners Tuesday, the unified system is not working.
“It is broken,” he said. “It is another broken promise by the state,” He said that he would encourage the commission to recommend the BOC be given the authority to do the job that is expected.
“We (the BOC) have no authority to tell the counties to take inmates from other counties,” Westrum said, referring to Somerset County, which has refused to take inmates from the other counties. “The BOC needs authority or it needs to go away,” Westrum said.
Lincoln County Commissioner William Blodgett asked Westrum how the proposed change would affect the Two Bridges Regional Jail, where Westrum, is the head administrator.
“It would impact us sufficiently,” Westrum said. “It will add another day for the inmate to stay in jail, and additional cost for the county.”
“There is no need for this, the judicial system should take advantage of video arraignment,” Westrum said.
Video arraignments involve using video conferencing technology from the jail the inmate is being held in to the court room, which could be in another county. Westrum said video arraignments could save the counties money in transporting the inmate to the courthouse.
Westrum said he would encourage all county officials to attend the public hearing Sept. 12 to oppose extending the arraignment time.
