If an inmate commits a crime in a regional jail, which county owns it?

That was the question proposed by Lincoln County Comission Chairman William Blodgett during the Tuesday, Jan. 21 meeting.

For Wiscasset's Two Bridges Regional Jail, it means a crime committed on the grounds goes on Lincoln County's count, Sheriff Todd Brackett said.

Like the rest of the county, the jail isn't isolated when it comes to crime, Brackett said.

“Two Bridges is a wonderful facility; it's a new facility,” he said. “But, like any other county jail, it's going to have crime. There will be smuggling contraband, drug abuse.

“It's a small community, and you'll find the same societal issues you'd find on the streets.”

Lincoln County District Attorney Geoffrey Rushlau said when inmates have time they get creative when it comes to smuggling.

“There really is no end to the ingenuity,” he said. “You'd be surprised at some of the ways they get drugs into the jail.”

That extra work has created a bit of a strain on the DA's office, Rushlau said.

“There are a lot of new criminal cases, most of them drug smuggling,” he said. “With a larger population, you have a larger case load.”

Depending on an inmates' record, another jail-related conviction could lead to a fine or up to several months in jail in what Rushlau called a self-perpetuating machine.

That extra work has caused the district attorney to ask the commissioners to create a new clerical position to help with the workflow.

Mental health still at forefront

While the last mention of transitioning a section of Two Bridges into a mental health pod was met with copious amounts of resistance, a new plan could benefit the county, Brackett said.

On Friday, Jan. 24 there will be a meeting to discuss expanding Maine State Prison's forensic mentally ill facility, which could alleviate problems facing Riverview Psychiatric Center.

Currently, the 16 Maine counties have one designated bed at the Augusta-based facility, Brackett said. If more space at the state prison was dedicated for mentally ill inmates it could mean more bed space for the counties.

“This (Friday meeting) is solely about space at the prison,” Brackett said. “We're waiting to see what impact it has, but hopefully it's positive.”

A proposal from Brunswick Senator Stan Gerzofsky in the form of LD 1515 could have potentially used one of Two Bridges' pods to house mentally ill inmates. The Lincoln and Sagadahoc Regional Jail Authority however, which includes Blodgett, was vehemently opposed to the idea.