An Act To Authorize a Prerelease Facility in Washington County
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1841
Committee Amendment CA_A_S455 (Senate)

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "~ " to S.P. 694, L.D. 1841, Bill, "An Act To 
Authorize a Prerelease Facility in Washington County" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Establish the Washington County Prerelease and Job Training Center 
and To Sell the Downeast Correctional Facility' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 34-A MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 6, as amended, is repealed. 
Sec. 2. 34-A MRSA c. 3, sub-c. 10 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 10 
WASHINGTON COUNTY PRERELEASE AND JOB TRAINING CENTER 
§4301. Establishment 
There is established the Washington County Prerelease and Job Training Center, 
referred to in this subchapter as "the center," which must be located in Washington 
County. 
§4302. Purposes 
The purposes of the center include vocational training and rehabilitative programs, 
including but not limited to work release and work involving public restitution, for 50 or 
fewer prisoners. 
§4303. Director 
1. Chief administrative officer. The chief administrative officer of the center is 
called the director and is responsible to the commissioner. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" 4· to S.P. 694, L.D. 1841 
2. Duties. In addition to other duties set out in this subchapter. the director has the 
following duties. 
A. 
The director shall exercise proper supervision over the employees. grounds, 
buildings and equipment at the center. 
B. The director shall supervise and control the prisoners at the center in accordance 
with departmental rules. 
3. Designation of acting director. The commissioner may designate an acting 
director when the director is absent or unable to perform the director's duties. 
§4304. Prisoners generally 
1. Confinement of prisoners transferred to center. All prisoners transferred to the 
center must be detained and confined in accordance with the sentences of the court and 
the rules of the department. 
2. Vocational training. The director shall work collaboratively with the Department 
of Labor. the Department of Education. community vocational and educational 
institutions. private employers and other public and private agencies and organizations as 
necessary to ensure the provision of suitable vocational training for prisoners at the 
center. The director shall maintain necessary equipment and employ suitable qualified 
instructors as necessary to carry out the objectives of the center's programs. 
3. Work release. The director shall work collaboratively with private employers as 
necessary to ensure the provision of suitable work release opportunities for prisoners at 
the center. 
4. Employment. The commissioner may authorize the employment of prisoners at 
the center on public works with any department. agency or entity of the State or county or 
local government and may authorize the use of prisoners to provide assistance in the 
improvement of property owned by nonprofit organizations. 
A. The commissioner shall adopt such rules as the commissioner considers proper to 
ensure the care and treatment of the prisoners and the safe working conditions of 
prisoners and departmental employees. Rules adopted pursuant to this paragraph are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5. chapter 375. subchapter 2-A. 
B. Employment authorized in this subsection must provide training to the prisoners 
at the center and provide an opportunity for public restitution for the crime or crimes 
committed by those prisoners. 
C. 
A prisoner employed pursuant to this subsection may not be compensated 
monetarily for work performed. 
D. 
The commissioner may request that a nonprofit organization pay for the 
transportation of the prisoners it employs and pay the per diem compensation of 
correctional officers or instructors who are required to accompany the prisoners or 
oversee the work to be performed. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" 4" to S.P. 694, L.D. 1841 
§4305. Employees of the center 
Employees of the center have the same power as deputy sheriffs in their respective 
counties to search for and apprehend a prisoner who has escaped from the center when 
those employees are authorized to do so by the director. 
Sec. 3. 
Authority for property purchase for Washington County 
Prerelease and Job Training Center. 
The Commissioner of Corrections shall 
identify land in Washington County owned by the State and obtain the rights to develop 
that land or shall purchase a parcel of land and buildings in Washington County for the 
Washington County Prerelease and Job Training Center, by warranty deed with or 
without covenants to be conveyed to the Department of Corrections and recorded in the 
Washington County Registry of Deeds. 
Prior to the purchase of the property, the 
proposed purchase must be reviewed by the Director of the Bureau of General Services 
within the Department of Administrative and Financial Services. 
Sec. 4. Sale or lease of Downeast Correctional Facility. The following 
requirements apply to the offering for sale or lease of the property of the Downeast 
Correctional Facility. 
1. The Commissioner of Corrections shall sell or lease the land and buildings known 
as the Downeast Correctional Facility, identified as 64 Base Road, consisting of 
approximately 25.24 acres in fee and 2.69 acres of easements together with 
improvements, identified on Tax Assessor's Map 12 as Lot 053 and recorded in the 
Washington County Registry of Deeds, Book 1314, Pages 276 to 286. 
2. The Commissioner of Corrections may negotiate and execute leases and purchase 
and sale agreements upon terms the commissioner considers appropriate. 
3. If the Downeast Correctional Facility is sold, the sale must occur as is, with no 
representations or warranties and with the title transferred by quitclaim deed without 
covenant or by release deed to be executed by the Commissioner of Corrections. 
4. Prior to any lease or sale, the Downeast Correctional Facility must first be offered 
to the Maine State Housing Authority or another state or local agency, which may acquire 
the property upon satisfaction of the terms of this section. 
5. The Commissioner of Corrections shall have the current market value of the 
Downeast Correctional Facility determined by broker opinion of value and current 
comparative market analysis. 
6. The Commissioner of Corrections may list the state property comprising the 
Downeast Correctional Facility for sale or lease with private real estate brokers and 
negotiate any sales or leases, solicit bids, sell directly to purchasers or enter directly into 
leases with tenants. The Commissioner of Corrections may reject any offers. 
7. The proceeds from the sale or lease of the Downeast Correctional Facility must, as 
designated by the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, be deposited 
into the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General 
Services' capital repair and improvement account for capital improvements. 
8. This section is repealed 5 years from the effective date of this Act. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 694, L.D. 1841 
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
CORRECTIONS, DEPARTMENT OF 
Washington County Prerelease Center N279 
Initiative: Appropriates funds to establish 2 Public Service Manager II positions, 10 
Corrections Officer positions, 2 Correctional Sergeant positions, one Teacher BS 
position, 3 Corrections-Trade Instructor positions and one Community Program 
Coordinator position and for the All Other costs required for the creation and operation of 
a Washington County Prerelease Center. 
GENERAL FUND 
POSITIONS - LEGISLATIVE COUNT 
Personal Services 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
SUMMARY 
2017-18 
2018-19 
0.000 
19.000 
$0 
$1,876,791 
$0 
$664,879 
$0 
$2,541,670 
This amendment is the minority report of the committee. The amendment establishes 
the Washington County Prerelease and Job Training Center to provide vocational training 
and rehabilitative programs, including but not limited to work release and work involving 
public restitution, for 50 or fewer prisoners. The amendment provides mechanisms for 
obtaining the rights to develop land or for purchasing land for the Washington County 
Prerelease and Job Training Center and for selling or leasing the Downeast Correctional 
Facility. The proceeds from the sale or lease of the Downeast Correctional Facility must, 
as designated by the Commissioner of Administrative and Financial Services, be 
deposited into the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of 
General Services' capital repair and improvement account for capital improvements. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Revised: 04/09/18 feae 
LD 1841 
LR2920(03) 
An Act To Authorize a Prerelease Facility in Washington County 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '/)," ( S-l/5 ii) 
Committ~e: Criminal Justice and Public Safety 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2017-18 
FY2018-19 
$0 
$2,541,670 
Projections 
FY2019-20 
$2,540,974 
Projections 
FY2020-21 
$2,598,966 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
$0 
$2,541,670 
$2,540,974 
$2,598,966 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Provides an ongoing appropriation of $2,541,670 in 2018-19 to the Department of Corrections for the personal 
services and all other costs related to the creation and operation of a Washington County Prerelease Center, including 
new positions. Further assumes facility and facility start-up costs will be absorbed within existing budgeted 
resources. The amount and timing of any revenue generated from the sale of the state property operated as the 
Downeast Correctional Facility cannot be determined at this time. 
Additional costs to the Department of Education and the Department of Labor to work collaboratively with the 
director of the Washington County Prerelease and Job Training Center as necessary to ensure the provision of suitable 
vocational training for prisoners of the center can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR2920(03) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1