AUGUSTA — The commissioner of Maine’s prison system says the state’s county jails are “on the verge of collapsing” and is calling for a state takeover.
In a three-page letter Wednesday to the Legislature’s Criminal Justice Committee, Corrections Commissioner Joseph Ponte said the state is “well-positioned to take over the jail operations immediately.”
The Sun Journal reports that he says the state’s network of 15 county jails has enough room for all of its inmates but is poorly run, causing some counties to maintain dozens of empty beds while others are severely overcrowded.
The announcement comes as the Criminal Justice Committee is crafting a fix of the system, working from the report of a blue-ribbon commission initiated by Gov. Paul LePage.
Androscoggin County Sheriff Guy Desjardins says he’s insulted by Ponte’s letter.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
-
Local & State
Maine reports slight increase in COVID hospitalizations
-
Local & State
Missing Industry man found dead during search near his home
-
Schools and Education
Central Maine 2022 graduation coverage
-
Editorials
Our View: Show kids how to use smartphones the right way
-
Business
L.L. Bean goes silent on social media for Mental Health Awareness Month
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have one? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login to participate in the conversation. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.