BELFAST, Maine — The Waldo County Jail will be downsized to a re-entry facility this summer.
Waldo County Sheriff Scott Story said the jail facility will serve inmates from Waldo, Knox, Hancock, Washington, Sagadahoc and Lincoln counties who are reaching the end of their prison or jail sentences.
The transition from high-security jail to minimum-security re-entry facility will begin next month and should be completed by early August.
“These will be people that are at the end of their sentence that are low-security inmates but high-risk for re-offending,” Story said Monday. “They will be set up with caseworkers or mentors to help them get re-established and back into their communities.”
Story said the state Board of Corrections approved the change last month as part of its ongoing jail consolidation program.
Story, who serves on the consolidation committee, knew early on that the county jail would be either closed or converted into some type of release center. The county jail has been working closely with inmate rehabilitation agencies for the past few years and was well positioned for a re-entry program, Story said.
He said the jail would continue to operate as a 72-hour booking and bail facility. That way local law enforcement will not have to leave the county to book individuals charged with crimes.
Story said the county still would be responsible for inmates who commit crimes within its jurisdiction, but they would be residing at jails elsewhere.
The department still will transport the inmates back and forth from their facilities for court appearances. The county does that already, as the jail is often overcrowded and inmates are boarded elsewhere.
As a result of the change, the jail will need to eliminate 11 of its 26 current positions. Story said most of those employees already have found other jobs and some positions have been eliminated through attrition. The transition from a high-security facility with individual cells into a dormitorylike setting will not require as many employees.
The operating budget will be less than the $2.8 million cap established under the consolidation program. Story said money for renovations at the jail would be taken from existing accounts.
Inmates residing at the facility will be held there from six months up to more than a year depending on the type of program they are enrolled in. He said the goal of the program was to change their behavior and reduce recidivism.
“We will be helping them get re-established in their community. We will help them find employment, housing, education and any other support services that they need so that they are better prepared to succeed rather than re-offend and come back into the system,” Story said. “The individuals that are coming through here were going to be coming to one of the counties anyway. All we are going to do is provide them the tools needed to resettle back in their home towns.”
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