An Act To Better Coordinate and Reduce the Cost of the Delivery of State and County Correctional Services
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 2080
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: CROCKETT, MITCHELL, AYOTTE, BABBIDGE, BEAUDETTE, BEAUDOIN, BLANCHARD, BRAUTIGAM, BRIGGS, BROWNE, BRYANT, CHASE, CLEARY, CONNOR, CROSTHWAITE, CUMMINGS, DRISCOLL, DUCHESNE, EATON, EBERLE, FISHER, GILES, GOULD, JACKSON, KOFFMAN, MAKAS, MILLER, MILLS, MIRAMANT, PATRICK, PERCY, PIEH, PINGREE, PLUMMER, PRA IT, RAND, SAMSON, SILSBY, SMITH, THERIAULT, TRINW ARD, WEDDELL, BENOIT, BROMLEY, COURTNEY, DAMON, HASTINGS, NUTTING, ROSEN, SCHNEIDER, WESTON

SECOND REGULAR- SESSION-2008 
Legislative Document 
No. 2080 
H.P.1466 
House of Representatives, December 27,2007 
An Act To Better Coordinate and Reduce the Cost of the Delivery of 
State and County Correctional Services 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
203. 
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative CROCKETT of Augusta. 
Cosponsored by Senator MITCHELL of Kennebec and 
/Yj~ 
/J7.7!/~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: AYOTTE of Caswell, BABBIDGE of Kennebunk, BEAUDETTE of 
Biddeford, BEAUDOIN of Biddeford, BLANCHARD of Old Town, BRAUTIGAM of 
Falmouth, BRIGGS of Mexico, BROWNE of Vassalboro, BRYANT of Windham, 
CANA V AN of Waterville, CHASE of Wells, CLEARY of Houlton, CONNOR of Kennebunk, 
COTT A of China, CROSTHWAITE of Ellsworth, Speaker CUMMINGS of Portland, 
DRISCOLL of Westbrook, DUCHESNE of Hudson, EATON of Sullivan, EBERLE of South 
Portland, FISHER of Brewer, GILES of Belfast, GOULD of South Berwick, JACKSON of 
Allagash, KOFFMAN of Bar Harbor, MAKAS of Lewiston, MILLER of Somerville, MILLS 
of Farmington, MIRAMANT of Camden, N ASS of Acton, PATRICK of Rumford, PERCY of 
Phippsburg, PIEH of Bremen, PINGREE of North Haven, PLUMMER of Windham, PRA IT 
of Eddington, RAND of Portland, SAMSON of Auburn, SILSBY of Augusta, SMITH of 
Monmouth, THERIAULT of Madawaska, TRINW ARD of Waterville, WEDDELL of 
Frankfort, Senators: BENOIT of Sagadahoc, BROMLEY of Cumberland, BRYANT of 
Oxford, COURTNEY of York, DAMON of Hancock, HASTINGS of Oxford, McCORMICK 
of Kennebec, N ASS of York, NUTTING of Androscoggin, ROSEN of Hancock, SCHNEIDER 
of Penobscot, WESTON of Waldo. . 
Printed on recycled puper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
CONCEPT DRAFT 
SUMMARY 
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208. 
This bill seeks to establish the Maine Jail and Community Corrections Authority. 
The membership of the authority consists of state, county and municipal officials and 
representatives of those involved in the criminal justice system. 
A majority of the 
members of the authority are representatives of county government. 
The authority is established for the following purposes: 
I. 
To coordinate and oversee a cost-efficient system within the State for the 
II 
operation and maintenance of county and regional jails and community corrections 
facilities, programs and services; 
2. To facilitate the implementation and delivery of corrections programs and services 
for pretrial defendants and convicted offenders, consistent with best correctional and 
evidence-based practices and the protection of public safety; 
3. 
To develop and implement plans for the renovation, improvement and 
redevelopment of existing jail facilities and for the design and construction of new jail 
facilities through a certificate of need process to better serve the incarcerated and 
detained populations and the citizens of the State. The authority may issue bonds and 
enter into agreements with the counties and the Department of Corrections for these 
purposes; and 
4. 
To provide a consolidated body representing county and regional jails and 
community corrections facilities to coordinate with the Department of Corrections on 
corrections matters, including but not limited to the coordination of jail bed space. 
The authority shall manage the county and regional jails and community correctional 
facilities and programs and services to efficiently allocate human and financial resources, 
establish uniform criteria for the construction and expansion of jail facilities and develop 
and implement methods by which the purposes of the authority are best served. 
Specifically, the authority shall: 
I. 
Create and implement standards of care and operation reflective of best 
correctional practice for jail facilities; 
2. Approve purpose and rated capacities for each jail facility, which may include 
specialized units, based upon established standards and system need and demand; 
3. Conduct inspections of and accredit jail facilities; 
4. Coordinate bed space availability and utilization among jails and between the 
Department of Corrections and jails as needed, considering established criteria, inmate 
Page I - 123LR2952(OI)-1 
I 
classification, gender, pre-convIctIOn and post-conviction status and special needs 
including mental health and substance abuse; 
5. Establish per diem board rates using a predetermined formula; 
6. Establish and operate an intercounty jail inmate transportation system consistent 
with security interests in order to reduce the overall cost of jail inmate transportation; 
7. Establish data collection requirements necessary to monitor the status of county 
and regional jail populations, to project future capacity needs and to develop 
recommendations for new or expanded facilities, programs and services. The authority 
shall review and approve or deny requests for construction of new, expanded or renovated 
jail facilities using a certificate of need process; 
II 
8. 
Develop, implement and fund community corrections programs and services 
reflective of evidence- based practices and make them available to all counties. These 
services must be coordinated in collaboration with the criminal justice planning 
committees established pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 30-A, section 1671; 
9. 
Evaluate implementation of pretrial services for desired outcomes. 
Pretrial 
services must be funded using money formerly provided through the Community 
Corrections Fund and County Jail Prisoner Support Fund under Title 34-A, section 1210-
B; 
10. 
Monitor county and regional criminal justice system operations to identify 
system practices that adversely affect jail populations or operating costs, propose 
improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, and evaluate implementation of the 
improvements; and 
II. Provide information and assistance to jail officials regarding best correctional 
and evidence-based practices and provide a forum for sharing information on best 
correctional and evidence-based practices in use within the State.