Updates on Penobscot jail expansion and alternatives
Penobscot County’s plan to build an expensive new jail in Hampden, Maine has many people asking, “What are the alternatives to jail expansion?” Explore the latest news coverage and updates from Penobscot County on the fight to stop a costly and harmful jail expansion and create an effective diversion program.
Debate Over Future of Penobscot County Jail Continues
FOX 22 BANGOR - The general consensus among Penobscot County residents is that the jail is overcrowded.
Where opinions diverge is on the solution.
Most residents agree the current jail cannot continue operating as is. When it comes to a path forward, community leaders fall into two distinct camps.
While Penobscot County leaders push for a new jail, he’s spent years fighting against it
Bangor Daily News highlights Doug Dunbar’s work with the group No Penobscot Jail Expansion and Penobscot County Cares and his advocacy for diversion programs as an alternative to incarceration.
Activists urge Penobscot County to consider diversion efforts over jail expansion
WABI - While Penobscot County works on plans to relocate the jail from Bangor to Hampden, a local group has formed to offer an alternative.
Hoping to keep folks out of jail rather than expand the number of beds, local activists have created the Penobscot County Diversion and Problem-Solving Pilot Initiative.
Letter in Support of ‘Better alternatives than a new jail in Penobscot County’
A letter to the Bangor Daily News expresses support for the recent op-ed, “A new diversion program is a better solution than a bigger jail in Penobscot County.”
“A bigger jail won’t solve the real issues driving incarceration in Penobscot County and, as the authors note, is an outdated approach.”
Better alternatives than a new jail in Penobscot County
BANGOR DAILY NEWS OPINION LETTER - Maine has a reputation for being a caring state, a fact many are proud of. But we believe our overburdened, outdated justice system is the state’s scarlet letter. We need to begin confronting these issues with care and understanding, not punishment. And now, we have a way to do it.
Critics of Penobscot County Jail expansion plan call for decarceration effort
MAINE BEACON - Advocates are pushing back against an effort by Penobscot County to increase capacity of its Bangor-based jail, saying the expansion effort is misguided and urging the county to instead focus on reducing the number of people it incarcerates.
Penobscot County puts out Request for Proposals for jail expansion
Penobscot County has put out a request for proposals for project management to expand the Penobscot County Jail. This expansion, as described in the RFP, would add 203 beds rather than the original 100 discussed in the media.
Penobscot County wants to add 100 beds to its overcrowded jail
BANGOR DAILY NEWS - Penobscot County is asking architectural firms for proposals to add about 100 beds to its existing jail on Hammond Street in Bangor, marking the county’s latest attempt to ease overcrowding at the 161-year-old facility that regularly exceeds its licensed capacity of 157 inmates.