A new funding formula proposed by the state corrections department could create major problems for the Lincoln-Sagadahoc regional jail, according to Mark Westrum, the administrator of the Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset.

Westrum, who is also the chair of the Maine Board of Corrections, doesn’t like preliminary budget proposals coming from the state corrections budget working group. “But I will wait until I hear the whole story before coming to any conclusions,” he said. The state corrections board is scheduled to meet on March 26.

Westrum told the local regional jail officials, who oversee a facility that houses state prisoners in addition to those from Lincoln and Sagadahoc, the state board is considering either making half payments for both the third and fourth quarters, or, making just a third or a fourth quarter payment. In some cases they might make no payments at all.

The state corrections department was supposed to pay Two Bridges $508,918 on January 1 to cover operational costs for the third quarter of the fiscal year (January, February and March). The fourth quarter payment of $508,918 is due April 1. However, there have been no third quarter payments sent to any county. It is up to the state corrections board to decide which jails will receive payments, how much they will get, or if they will receive anything at all. It is expected the issue will come up at the next meeting, he said.

Currently the state owes all Maine county jail facilities about $4 million, for the third and fourth quarter payments, with over $1 million owed to Two Bridges. The investment account, the fund that is used to pay the counties, has a $3.3 million balance. These budgets and quarterly payments were earlier approved by the BOC for the county facilities operating expenses for fiscal year 2012-2013. Now there is not enough money to pay those commitments.

Two Bridges Regional Jail authority board has authorized Westrum to submit a written request to the state corrections board for the third quarter payment. If the BOC decides not to make authorized payments, the facility could only accept inmates from Lincoln and Sagadahoc County, and face a reduction in staff.

“I certainly hope that it doesn’t come to that,” said Westrum. “I am confident that we will get through the third quarter, but there will be pain in the fourth quarter.

“We, at Two Bridges, have decreased our costs in food and medical services. I don’t feel we should be punished because we were able to create some savings that can be used within the facility.”

“The BOC will be making some unpopular decisions very soon,” said Westrum.

Re-entry grant request

In 2011 Two Bridges Regional Jail received federal grant money to help fund a “re-entry program” for inmates just getting out of jail. Speaking at the Lincoln and Sagadahoc Jail Authority's Board of Directors meeting on March 13, Westrum requested and received the authorization to submit an application for the second phase of the federal grant.

Inmate population

During the month of February, Sagadahoc had 1,314 inmates while Lincoln had 691. On March 13, there were 29 inmates from Lincoln County and 46 inmates from Sagadahoc County housed at the regional jail.

In addition to the inmates from the two counties, the out of county prisoner count on showed a total prisoner population of 174 inmates with 46 inmates from Waldo County, 20 inmates from Maine Department of Corrections, 14 from Penobscot County; nine inmates from Aroostook; five inmates from Knox; three inmates from Kennebec; and two housed for the U.S. Marshal’s Service.

Lincoln County pays Two Bridges $201,819 each month for their inmates and Sagadahoc pays, $199,668 each month regardless of the number of inmates there are from either county. When the two counties built the jail the cost agreement was for each county to pay for the number of inmates they sent to the facility. However, with the new consolidated coordinated system the counties were capped at what they could raise for corrections, now each county pays the equal amount regardless of the number of inmates.

Upcoming meetings

The next meeting of the Jail Authority will be held Wednesday, May 8 at 4 p.m. However, there may be a special meeting called by the Authority should the state corrections board decline to release the third quarter payment to the Two Bridges Regional Jail.

Charlotte Boynton can be reached at 207-844-4632 or cboynton@wiscassetnewspaper.com.