Members of the No Penobscot County Jail Expansion group are asking local voters to reject a ballot measure that would allow a new county jail to be built in Hampden, outside the county seat.
Group member Larry Dansinger said the county should be spending its money on diversion programs instead of building a new facility to house more inmates.
“Vote no. Send a message to the county commissioners: We don’t want a new jail. We want fewer people in the jail, and we want money to be used instead for diversion, and not another high bill for county taxpayers,” he said.
County officials have argued that the population of the current jail is well over capacity and the number of inmates boarded out to other jails has skyrocketed in recent years.
Penobscot County Sheriff Troy Morton said the existing jail in Bangor only has 157 beds but the population averages about 230 inmates a day.
Speaking at a recent news conference, opponent Doug Dunbar said the county should expand diversion programs to reduce the number of people held at the jail.
“What helps people is treatment for mental health issues, for substance use disorder, help to get connected with housing resources, and that doesn’t happen in a building like this,” he said.
Dunbar was incarcerated at Penobscot County jail in 2017 for charges related to drunk driving. While there he participated in a diversion program that has helped him stay sober.
He wants to see that opportunity extended to more inmates.
The November referendum addresses the location of the jail but does not include additional funding.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.