Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties would join forces in operating a regional jail under a proposal from the three county sheriffs.

Facing overcrowding and rising costs, Sheriffs Eric Samson in Auburn, Scott Nichols Sr. in Farmington and Christopher Wainwright in Paris, in a joint letter to each county government, are calling for the creation of a regional correctional facility to house inmates from all three counties.

The initiative is in its early stages and will go before county commissioners for discussion in the future. No location has been discussed, and there is no cost estimate.

The proposal released by the sheriffs included letters of support from Neil McLean Jr., district attorney for all three counties, and veteran defense attorney James Howaniec of Lewiston.

The sheriffs hope the idea of a combined jail will be thoroughly examined, Samson wrote in email.

The three county administrators — Jeffrey Chute of Androscoggin County, Amy Bernard of Franklin County and Zane Loper of Oxford County — met Monday to discuss the proposal.

Chute said they will coordinate a meeting with all three sheriffs to review the letter and begin discussions.

Chronic overpopulation is a key factor in the proposal. The Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn was built in 1990 and has a maximum capacity of 160 prisoners. It has 216 inmates, with the remainder boarded elsewhere.

The Franklin County Jail was built about 1983 and has a maximum capacity of 39 inmates. It is boarding 16 additional inmates at other facilities.

Oxford County Jail in Paris opened in 1979. It has 47 beds and is boarding 33 inmates at other locations.

The cost of boarding out prisoners ranges from $95 to $100 or more a day.

The sheriffs’ proposal, which was sent to commissioners and administrators of each county, envisions an operation similar to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset, the only jail in the state to serve two counties: Sagadahoc and Lincoln.

A collaborative effort could provide cost savings and improve medical, behavioral and educational programs, leading to better outcomes for inmates, staff and the community, the sheriffs wrote.

A collaboration could produce cost efficiencies through economies of scale and grant eligibility that aren’t available to the smaller facilities.

A single, larger facility could be designed with wings or modular expansions to adapt to population changes, avoiding underused and overburdened jails, the sheriffs wrote.

The counties would need to align policies and create a governance committee or joint board to help collaborate, the sheriffs wrote. Transportation would also need to be factored in, but a regional location should minimize travel time, they said.

The sheriffs suggest the formation of an exploratory commission that could engage stakeholders and seek public input from municipal leaders, law enforcement, courts, public defenders, citizens and potential host communities.