Department of Corrections Commissioner Joseph Ponte asked the State Board of Corrections to support a $100 million bond to rebuild the Maine Correctional Center in Windham.

According to Ponte, the law requires the BOC support the bond, which would update the facility, create more bed space, increase efficiencies and save money.

According to BOC Chairman Mark Westrum, the board took no action on Ponte’s request because it is unclear exactly what authority the BOC. The board will review the law Ponte referred before any action is taken.

At their BOC's January 29 meeting in Augusta, Westrum told the commissioner that although the beds are no doubt needed, budget shortfalls facing legislators would make it a hard sell.

Ponte pointed out the Windham facility is deteriorated, is not cost-efficient to operate and the prison is not up to standards used by modern prison systems. Some of the buildings on the Windham campus were built in the 1930s and the 1950s.

According to Stan Gerzofsky, Chairman of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, the request for the $100 million bond would be requested on Governor Paul LePage’s budget, and come before the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee.

During a telephone interview with Gerzofsky on January 31, he said that request has not come before the committee yet.

Gerzofsky was asked if the question of a $100 million bond would go before the voters on Maine on a referendum.

“That would depend on the type of bond the state would use, a referendum vote could be side stepped,” he said.

However, he also said before any decisions would be made there would be public hearings on the issue.  

There are two types of bonds, General Obligation Bonds and Revenue Bonds. Revenue bonds do not need a referendum vote because they are paid from revenue and do not affect the taxpayers.

They can be used for Water and Wastewater (Sewer) utilities, toll roads and bridges; airports, seaports, and other transportation hubs, power plants and electrical generation facilities and prisons.