Somerset County jail decision could impact Aroostook

By Donna DeLong
Special to Pioneer Times
During their July 11 meeting at Caribou, the Aroostook County Commissioners were told that a decision by a downstate jail to refuse prisoners from other counties would impact the county jail in Houlton.     County Administrator Doug Beaulieu reported on the Board of Corrections decision to no longer allow prisoners from areas around the state to be boarded at the Somerset County Jail. “It is a hardship for the whole state, but especially Aroostook County,” Beaulieu said.
He also announced that Adam Boisvert, a full-time corrections officer in Caribou, was commissioned as part-time patrol deputy with the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department. Ryan Rackliffe was also hired as a part-time patrol deputy.
District Attorney Todd R. Collins presented information on the status of a victim witness advocate for his office.  The fund, that is part of the U.S. stimulus package, will terminate on Sept. 30, 2012.  This grant has paid 20 hours toward this full-time advocate position.  He asked if funding could continue in the amount of $4,710 to keep the position going in a full-time capacity through Dec. 31, 2012.  The funds were approved and this matter will be brought back to the board for more discussion at a later date.
Contracts were approved for the Katahdin Valley Health Center for medical services for the Aroostook County Jail in the amounts of $14,290 and $14,700 per month for fiscal year 2013 and fiscal year ‘14 respectively.
Commissioners signed a three-year fire protection agreement with the town of Masardis for the unorganized townships of T10R6, T9R5, and T8R4 in the amounts of $1,125.50, $1,159.26 and $1,194.04 respectively.
In other County Commissioners business, it was reported that:
The speed limit has been changed by the Maine Dept. of Transportation from 50 mph to 55 mph from approximately Coulombe Road to Ouellette Road on Route 161 in the vicinity of Cross Lake TWP.;
The Caribou Courthouse roof project contact was granted to McLaughlin Builders Inc. of Medway for $22,200;
The Urban/Rural Initiative Program (URIP) was awarded funding from MaineDOT for various county roads in the amount of $60,736; and
Fire Chief Darren Woods applied for a North Lakes Fire and Rescue Fire Grant to purchase air packs, bottles masks and a fire truck.
The next scheduled meeting of the County Commissioners will be Wednesday, Aug. 1 at 5:30 p.m. in the commissioners’ office in Caribou.
(Editors note: On July 31, Beaulieu was informed during a Board of Corrections meeting that Somerset County Jail agreed to house up to 65 state and county inmates utilizing one of their additional facilities. He expressed that the decision is a good thing for Aroostook County, which has occasionally had as many as 30 inmates boarded out a day. Utilizing Somerset County facilities shortens the commute of transporting inmates and comes with cost-savings for Aroostook.)