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How Are Inmate Records in Maine Created and Stored?

Inmate records are first created when someone is arrested for committing a crime. The RAP sheet is the first entry into the file containing the suspect’s name, address, physical description, and details of the crime, any victims, and property. The suspect is then held in custody until his or her hearing or a trial. All the events that take place in the suspect’s life are added to the record. The State of Maine Department of Corrections (MDOC) is the agency in charge of keeping and maintaining inmate records. They keep them online in a central repository so that all members of law enforcement, family, friends, and the general public can perform an inmate search efficiently.

What Does Maine’s Prison System Look Like?

The Maine prison system is relatively simple with most correctional facilities overseen by the same agency: The State of Main Department of Corrections, and Commissioner Randall A. Liberty. On their website, they describe their purpose as: “MDOC is responsible for the direction and general administrative supervision, guidance, and planning of both adult and juvenile correctional facilities and programs within the State.” The Maine state prison system includes:

• 3 Community Corrections Regions

The mission of the State of Maine Department of Corrections is: “to reduce the likelihood that juvenile and adult offenders will re-offend, by providing practices, programs, and services which are evidence-based and which hold the offenders accountable.”

Types of Jails and Prisons in Maine

Maine has a few different types of corrections facilities. They include local county jails which house individuals who were recently arrested and need to be detained until their hearing or trial. Maine has six state prisons of varying degrees of custody/security that house prisoners of different demographics, with one housing only women prisoners. They also have two juvenile detention centers to house youth offenders under the age of 18.

How Many People are Locked up in Maine?

Maine’s prison system holds 2,404 residents in various kinds of correctional facilities, from which 2,366 residents are held in state prisons, 27 in federal prisons, and 11 in local jails.

Maine State Prisons

Maine has six state prisons. All of them fall under the direction of the State of Maine Department of Corrections, and Commissioner Randall A. Liberty. The list of Maine state prisons includes:

• Bolduc Correctional Facility - minimum security, hold 222 inmates
• Mountain View Correctional Facility - minimum to medium-security, holds 374 adult males and 20 male/female inmates
• Maine Correctional Center - minimum to medium-security, holds 650 male and female prisoners
• Women’s Center - focused on reducing recidivism and substance-abuse treatment for women prisoners
• Southern Maine reentry Center - reentry center for 64 women
• Maine State Prison - medium to special custody level for 916 inmates

Maine County Jails

Maine’s sixteen county jails house inmates who are suspected of crimes and are awaiting their hearing or trial. In some cases, a judge will sentence only a few months in county jail, and they house those types of inmates also. County jails in Maine are under the supervision and management of the local county Sheriff’s Office. Each of Maine’s sixteen counties has a Sheriff’s Office to keep the peace, arrest suspects and hold them in custody until they progress through the justice system.

Maine Juvenile Detention Centers

Maine has only two juvenile detention centers in the state. They both fall under the direction of the State of Maine Department of Corrections. Their mission according to the MDOC website is: “To promote public safety by ensuring that juveniles under Department of Correction’s jurisdiction are provided with risk-focused intervention, quality treatment, and other services that teach skills and competencies; strengthen prosocial behaviors to reduce the likelihood of re-offending and require accountability to victims and communities.” The two facilities are:

• Long Creek Youth Development Center - 163 youth offenders
• Mountain View Youth Development Center - 20 male/female offenders

The juvenile detention division also includes community corrections offices to help transition youth offenders back into society along with a juvenile justice advisory group to help steer the directives of the program.

Maine Community Correctional Facilities

The state of Maine also has community corrections programs and reentry centers to help transition soon-to-be-released inmates. These programs and facilities help inmates to get jobs, find housing, and re-acclimate back into society to reduce the likelihood of them returning to prison or committing further crimes. Some of these facilities also help with the treatment of mental illness, substance abuse issues, and other impediments to progress once they are released. These centers also provide probationers and parolees with the means to check-in and receive services as well. The community corrections and reentry centers include:

• Portland (Region 1).
• Augusta (Region 2).
• Bangor (Region 3).
• Southern Maine Women’s reentry Center.

Why are People Incarcerated in Maine?

Maine has only about 5,000 inmates in prison. Almost half of those are in state prison, 1,800 are in local jails, 630 are in federal prisons in other states, and 80 are in juvenile detention centers with another 50 in mental institutions, receiving treatment. Seventy-three percent of the inmates in Maine’s prisons are there because of larceny-theft. Another fifteen percent are in prison due to burglary. Four percent committed aggravated assault, 3.63% stole vehicles, 2% committed rape, and only 0.10% are incarcerated due to murder.

Maine’s Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Maine’s incarceration rate for year-end 2016 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction per 100,000 population was 137, which is lower than an average incarceration rate by 70%. The number of Maine prisoners at the year-end of 2016 was 2,404, from which 10% were female prisoners, whereas the number of male prisoners was 2,169 in 2016.

Where Do Maine Inmates Go When They are Released?

Many inmates will go back home to family and friends once they are released from a Maine prison. However, Maine does have reentry centers and community corrections programs to help transition certain inmates back into society. Those who may need more assistance are given support with things like finding a job, finding housing, reconnecting with family or treatment for substance abuse and mental illness.

How Does Parole Work in Maine?

Parole is a privilege given to inmates who have worked hard to behave and stay out of trouble while incarcerated. Parole is when the parole board grants a prisoner early release with some stipulations such as checking in weekly with a parole officer, finding gainful employment and stable housing. The corrections department may stipulate additional demands, and if an inmate does not comply with any of the rules, they will go back to prison to serve out the remainder of their sentence.

Parole Population

How Does Someone Get Probation in Maine?

In some cases, when a person is a first-time or low-risk offender with exceptional circumstances, the judge may sentence probation instead of prison. Again, the court will specify rules of probation, which will include being supervised by a probation officer and other goals or stipulations. If the probationer does not comply with these rules, he or she will be arrested and go to prison.

Probation Statistics