Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry, who heads the Maine Sheriffs Association, briefed the Two Bridges Jail Authority at its meeting on Wednesday about the status of the jail’s future budget.

With the legislature set to adjourn its current session next Wednesday, June 17, there is still no resolution to the future of the board of corrections or operating budgets for Maine’s county jails.

LD 186, which proposed to eliminate the board of corrections and provide supplemental funding for the county jails from state coffers, was submitted to the committee on criminal justice and public safety on Jan. 29.

Since its introduction, the bill has taken more twists and turns than the back roads from the Midcoast to Augusta. Amendments have been proposed by various committee members in an effort to reach agreement on the bill, which has come to serve as an unfortunate example of the current difficulty in enacting legislation in Maine.

According to Merry, the bill went to the appropriations committee and $14.6 million has been “set aside” by appropriations to fund next year’s budget for operating the state’s jails.

However, another bill has been introduced by a group of legislators who would like to see the board of corrections continue, but who would increase the number of board members. 

The current amended version of LD 186 not only ends the board of corrections but also changes additional funding for jail operations. The new version of the bill, which Merry says contains a “significant flaw,” provides $14.6 million for operations, however, receiving jails are not permitted to charge a per diem boarding rate to sending jails.

Under its provisions, the only way county jails would be able to charge boarding rates would be if the state does not provide supplemental funding.

The current amended version of LD 186 also permits a 3 percent increase in property tax rates for jail funding.

Lincoln County Sheriff Todd Brackett explained to the jail authority members that Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset would be able to operate if sending jails paid a per diem to receiving jails for boarding prisoners. The rate for boarding a prisoner at Two Bridges is $108 per day.

A floor amendment prior to the vote is expected to change the current version of the bill so that boarding rates can be charged.

“A week from today we’ll have some clarity,” Merry said.