An Act to Develop a Continuum of Care for Youth Involved in the Justice System and to Develop Alternatives for Juveniles Incarcerated in Long Creek Youth Development Center
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1779
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: LOOKNER, BEEBE-CENTER, ABDI, BOYER, CRAFTS, DHALAC, GRAMLICH, HASENFUS, MILLIKEN, TALBOT ROSS
Amends: 34-A MRSA §7001

Legislative Document
No. 1779
H.P. 1142
House of Representatives, April 25, 2023
An Act to Develop a Continuum of Care for Youth Involved in the 
Justice System and to Develop Alternatives for Juveniles 
Incarcerated in Long Creek Youth Development Center
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative LOOKNER of Portland.
Cosponsored by Senator BEEBE-CENTER of Knox and
Representatives: ABDI of Lewiston, BOYER of Poland, CRAFTS of Newcastle, DHALAC of 
South Portland, GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach, HASENFUS of Readfield, MILLIKEN of 
Blue Hill, Speaker TALBOT ROSS of Portland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  34-A MRSA §7001, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 459, §6, is amended 
to read:
3.  Proposals.  Making proposals for meeting the prevention and rehabilitation services 
needs which that are not being addressed; and
Sec. 2.  34-A MRSA §7001, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1983, c. 459, §6, is amended 
to read:
4.  Coordination.  Coordinating its efforts in discharging the responsibility given under 
this section with those of other state or local agencies in order to effectively use existing 
resources to the maximum extent possible to achieve the purposes of this chapter and Title 
15, Part 6.; and
Sec. 3.  34-A MRSA §7001, sub-§5 is enacted to read:
5.  Needs assessment; transition plan. Establishing a process to conduct an 
individualized needs assessment and complete a transition plan for every juvenile in the 
department's custody, including a juvenile on community reintegration status.  The process 
must ensure the juvenile's voluntary participation in the assessment by requiring the 
juvenile's written informed consent before participation.  The assessment must, at a 
minimum, be:
A.  Conducted by a multidisciplinary team with expertise and experience in the 
assessment of holistic services to juveniles and their families, including but not limited 
to medical services, mental health services, educational services, permanency planning 
services, housing services, advocacy services and other services for juveniles;
B.  Designed to identify the services needed to safely and effectively meet the needs of 
and promote the well-being of the juvenile;
C.  Initiated in a timely manner following the juvenile's entry into the custody of the 
department; and
D. Completed in the community if the juvenile is released from detention or 
commitment within the department.
Sec. 4.  Community-based alternatives to incarceration for youth.  The 
Department of Corrections and the Children's Cabinet shall develop recommendations for 
reinvestment of corrections funds currently designated for youth incarceration into a 
continuum of community-based alternatives by:
1. Reviewing and evaluating current state and national reports regarding the efficacy 
of the use of incarceration of youth in the State and nationally. The department and the 
Children's Cabinet shall inform its work with information published and recommendations 
made to date around the efficacy of the youth prison model, conditions at the Long Creek 
Youth Development Center and the steps needed to successfully create a continuum of 
community-based alternatives for youth in the State involved in the juvenile justice system 
that improves outcomes for youth and public safety;
2. Seeking input from juvenile justice system stakeholders, including judges, defense 
attorneys, prosecutors, agency staff, residential and community-based service providers, 
youth advocates and youth and families affected by the juvenile justice system to define 
the community-based continuum of care and to establish funding priorities. The department 
and the Children's Cabinet shall prioritize input from youth and families who have 
experienced the juvenile justice system and youth and families who have been harmed by 
the juvenile justice system; and
3. Conducting an analysis to determine the potential reinvestment of current youth 
incarceration funds into community-based programming focused on those communities 
most affected by youth incarceration, including a review of residential placement options 
to ensure those out-of-home placements are appropriate and demonstrate positive outcomes 
for youth. The department and the Children's Cabinet shall review funding streams and 
costs to inform a reinvestment plan that ensures resources match the needs of youth and 
their communities and are not diverted to the adult justice system or used for other 
purposes. Current youth incarceration funds must be used for community-based integration 
services for youth that are not administered by the department. These services include but 
are not limited to supportive housing, jobs programs, educational programs and health care, 
including mental health services and substance use disorder treatment. Compensation for 
new positions comparable in duties and responsibilities to current positions at the Long 
Creek Youth Development Center must be compensated at a rate of pay that is no less than 
the current rate of pay for those positions and is consistent with law and existing contractual 
agreements.
No later than February 15, 2024, the department and the Children's Cabinet shall report 
recommendations to the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.  
The committee is authorized to report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 
131st Legislature.
Sec. 5.  Selection of entity to manage and distribute funds.  The Joint Standing 
Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety shall study the selection of an entity to 
manage and distribute corrections funds currently designated for youth incarceration 
including staffing, transportation and operations at the Long Creek Youth Development 
Center and funds distributed by the department to treat, support and house youth. The entity 
must include:
1. A formerly incarcerated person or an organization that represents formerly 
incarcerated persons;
2. A representative of an organization that advocates for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual community;
3. A person with expertise in racial justice issues; and
4. A person with expertise in mental and behavioral health treatment.
The entity may not be the Department of Corrections.  The Joint Standing Committee 
on Criminal Justice and Public Safety may report out legislation by February 15, 2024 
regarding its selection of an entity to the Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.
Sec. 6. Workforce development.  The Department of Corrections shall create and 
implement a workforce development plan for the Long Creek Youth Development Center 
staff, developed in coordination with the Department of Labor, that provides and facilitates 
retraining and professional certification options for other paid positions, including but not 
limited to state and local positions.
Sec. 7.  Plan to repurpose Long Creek Youth Development Center.  The 
Department of Corrections shall develop a plan to repurpose Long Creek Youth 
Development Center by working with the cities of Portland and South Portland and relevant 
agencies to:
1.  Prevent, in accordance with deed restrictions on the land occupied by Long Creek 
Youth Development Center, the reversion of the property occupied by Long Creek Youth 
Development Center to the City of Portland;
2. Develop a plan to redevelop the property to offer a range of community-based youth 
services and programming administered by not for profit providers and community-based 
organizations, including supportive or therapeutic housing, job training and employment 
programs, educational programs, recreational programs and health care, including mental 
health services and substance use disorder treatment; and
3. Ensure that Long Creek Youth Development Center is not used for any form of 
secure confinement, including incarcerating women and youth.
The department may solicit information from public and private sources to inform its 
work, including but not limited to the Department of Health and Human Services, the 
Department of Education and the Department of Labor.
No later than February 15, 2024, the department shall submit its plan to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety, including its findings, 
recommendations and any suggested legislation.  The committee may report out legislation 
regarding the plan to the Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill requires the:
1. Department of Corrections to establish a process to conduct an individualized needs 
assessment and complete a transition plan for every juvenile in the department's custody;
2. Department of Corrections and the Children's Cabinet to develop recommendations 
for reinvestment of corrections funds currently designated for youth incarceration into a 
continuum of community-based alternatives and report the recommendations to the Joint 
Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety;
3. Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety to study the 
selection of an entity to manage and distribute corrections funds currently designated for 
youth incarceration;
4. Department of Corrections to create and implement a workforce development plan 
for the Long Creek Youth Development Center staff, developed in coordination with the 
Department of Labor; and
5. Department of Corrections to develop a plan to repurpose Long Creek Youth 
Development Center and to submit its plan to the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal 
Justice and Public Safety, including its findings, recommendations and any suggested 
legislation.