In 2022, four Midcoast counties began considering how more collaboration may stretch tax dollars farther. Prosecutorial District VI includes Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Waldo and Knox counties, and all four struggle with funding jail operations. For nearly two years, the four have collaborated on cost-sharing arrangements.

Jails in Wiscasset, Rockland and Belfast share staff in response to coverage shortfalls. But this collaboration wasn't a new idea. A similar idea which began in 2016 included Cumberland County, and yielded few results.  

But in the wake of a state directive for county jails to rely more on collaboration and less on state funding resulted in the Midcoast county jails returning to a more cooperative venture.  A current cost-saving measure moves inmates between Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset and Knox County Correctional Facility in Rockland. Two Bridges houses general population inmates and Knox County holds maximum security and female prisoners. "This allows for TBRJ to have fewer overtime shifts and target better programming," said Lincoln County Administrator Carrie Kipfer at the Oct. 1 Lincoln County commissioners meeting.

Unfunded state mandates are another challenge facing local jails. At TBRJ, Kipfer reported 138 of 162 inmates are "pre-trial" and 24 are sentenced. In addition, Lincoln County has 24 more on a jail diversion program. Maine pre-trial has 39 in a different diversion program. In other words, all of these additional costs come from Lincoln County taxpayers. "We are completely dependent on the court system to get these pre-trial inmates sentenced or released, meaning the state controls 80%-plus of our population, but only funds less than 20% of the cost," she said. 

Despite limited results from the current collaboration, District VI jail administrators will review a consultant’s proposal regarding studying each facility's operation. On Oct. 11 in Rockland, District VI officials will discuss continuing with a new memorandum of understanding. SMRT Inc. is a Northeast consulting firm with two offices in Maine: Bangor and Portland. One consultant is familiar to local law enforcement officials. Wayne Applebee previously served as a Two Bridges correctional administrator, Lincoln County chief deputy sheriff and Wiscasset police officer. District VI officials are seeking a proposal which analyzes individual jail operations, and conversations with county, jail and law enforcement leaders about future challenges and opportunities.

“We reached out to Wayne to get some advice from him because he is a trusted colleague and knows Maine county jails, specifically the jails in this district,” Kipfer said. Applebee represents SMRT Inc., the firm that submitted the proposal. 

Kipfer reported the potential consultant's fee would be around $100,000. "I recognize there are concerns on our part about capital costs and investment in our facility," she said. "This will point us toward the direction we want to go with Two Bridges, and the consultant will advise how the collaboration would benefit us, and all of District VI." 

Brackett told commissioners the proposal reminds him of when Lincoln and Sagadahoc joined forces to operate Two Bridges Regional Jail. "Nearly 20 years ago we were a trend-setter with Sagadahoc," he said. "This is out-of-the-box thinking, and I know what we did with Sagadahoc resulted in solving our overcrowding which cost us between $20-$30 per inmate."