Sheriff warns of staffing and capacity strain; commissioners approve RFP for new transport van

Sheriff (name not specified) told the Penobscot County Commission on Jan. 7 that the county is facing staffing shortages in both patrol and corrections and that the jail’s high pretrial population and new state standards are creating operational and budget pressures.

The sheriff said the jail had an average in-house population of 156 last year against a state-rated capacity of 157, and that daily movements make the facility busier during daytime hours. "Please don't be fooled by the average daily populations," he said, explaining the difference between midnight counts and daytime throughput. He also said boarding-out costs have risen: the per-detainee boarding fee recently moved from $85 to $100 per day.

The sheriff described continued difficulty filling patrol positions (two open rural patrol slots and three open contract-town positions at the time of his report), and said the office is expanding part-time hiring to build a pipeline of candidates for full-time vacancies. He said that transporting and boarding detainees has driven significant costs and logistical complexity.

Why it matters: The sheriff warned that the county’s correctional and law-enforcement workloads, together with changes the Maine Department of Corrections has implemented as standards, could increase county expenses and require legislative or budget responses.

The sheriff criticized MDOC rule changes he called substantial and said some were previously considered in the Legislature and rejected. "We testified in those hearings," he said, adding that some counties and the sheriff’s association are pursuing legislative remedies. He also said several proposed MDOC standards contain apparent contradictions (for example, limiting capacity while directing jails not to refuse inmates) that make local compliance difficult and costly.

On jail operations and data, the sheriff praised recent work to separate and professionalize intake, which has improved the quality and availability of booking and population data. He credited staff for high audit scores on booking completeness and said upgraded data collection has aided requests for funding and programming.

The sheriff also briefed the commission on a set of bills he is sponsoring or supporting at the statehouse, including proposals on prison contraband, allowing some pretrial inmates to earn additional time credit for participation in internal work programs, and a request to transfer technical probation violators back to state custody rather than leave them in county jails.

Contracted medical services and transport van: The sheriff said the county’s jail medical contract had expired Dec. 31. He reported a substantial proposed price increase from the current medical provider and recommended either extending the current contract for six months while preparing an RFP or going straight to an RFP. He noted the medical provider had offered to absorb the pharmaceutical purchasing function and that Central Maine hospitals and other partners have changed billing practices, complicating existing arrangements.

On transport, the sheriff requested authorization to go to bid for a new prisoner-transport van and an associated inmate-custody insert. He said a new insert design (mid-roof van with dedicated air/heat and monitoring) would improve safety and efficiency for transports and lower long-term costs. Commissioners voted to authorize an RFP process for a transport van (motion passed unanimously). The sheriff also said the department will continue to evaluate options for inserts and monitor costs.

Ending: The sheriff asked commissioners to stay engaged with the Department of Corrections rulemaking and legislative efforts and to be prepared for budget impacts from rising boarding and medical costs. He asked the commission to consider the county’s long-term needs for transport, medical services, and staff recruitment and training.