Aroostook County is looking for land to house its new jail.
Leaders prefer a site within 15 miles of Route 1 from Hodgdon to Caribou.
The county issued a request for proposals Thursday, formally beginning the search for the location to build a correctional facility that would replace the 137-year-old Aroostook County Jail, which has not been renovated in more than 40 years. It’s the latest step in a process that started two years ago when a committee formed to explore jail options that could include a move outside Houlton.
The document stipulates that the land must be at least 15 acres that are “relatively level,” have access to municipal water and sewer, three-phase power and high-speed internet, and be accessible via a paved municipal road or state highway.
A 2025 needs assessment compiled by a consulting group recommended two potential locations for the new jail: in Houlton, where the existing jail is located, or in the vicinity of Presque Isle and Caribou, more central to The County’s population centers.
The report concluded that population shifts have made the existing jail’s location “less than ideal,” and that it was originally built in Houlton because of a former statutory requirement for the facilities to be in the county seat.
“There were indications from some agencies located to the north that a number of arrests are regularly not made in an effort to reduce trips to the current jail,” the report noted.
Moving the jail from Houlton would require a referendum vote under state law.
The county hired an architecture firm in May to help design the facility, beginning with the site selection process. That firm, SMRT Architects & Engineers, will evaluate up to five potential locations for the jail.
Land proposals are due on Sept. 28.
“The County’s goal is to conduct an open and thorough countywide search and evaluate potential locations based on the needs of the facility, operational efficiency, accessibility, infrastructure, overall cost, and long term value to Aroostook County taxpayers,” county administrator Justin Tibbetts said in a release.
Funding for the jail’s construction is anticipated to be raised through bonds, which would have to be approved by voters at a referendum that could happen as early as next year, according to a timeline laid out by SMRT in its proposal for design services.
Previous estimates have placed the cost of building the jail between $91 million and $112 million, depending on its size, but construction costs have risen since.