AUGUSTA (NEWS CENTER Maine)-- The latest round in the Downeast Correctional Facility fight took place Wednesday in an Augusta courtroom. Washington County and the Town of Machiasport have taken the Maine Department of Corrections to court, to stop the state from taking anything away from the Downeast facility. Local residents and laid-off workers say that Department had already started removing furniture and bunks from the Machiasport facility. County Commissioner Chris Gardiner said that threatens their efforts to reopen the facility.
“For the department to go in and start removing equipment, it seems it (was) going to make it more difficult for the legislature to make whatever decision they felt necessary,” said Gardiner.
The Legislature has been considering a bill to keep the Downeast Correctional Facility open for at least another year, which would presumably require the Department of Corrections to return prisoners and staff to the facility. That proposal has already received unanimous support from the Criminal Justice Committee.
The town and the county have asked the court for an injunction to block the DOC from doing any other work to remove equipment at the Downeast facility. On Wednesday, lawyers for the LePage Administration were in court, along with attorneys for the town and county, the labor unions and the Attorney general, who has entered the case to support the town and county. The Governor’s legal counsel offered an agreement that would stop all work at the prison except for routine cleanup, while the bill is still progressing through the Legislature.
Gardiner, the Washington County Commissioner, said they hope the Legislature will act quickly—and that the Governor will abide by what lawmakers decide.
“The Maine legislature, they are the will of the people. They are the people’s representatives and nobody in state government should think they are above the will of the people,” he said.
Some DCF workers attended Wednesday’s hearing as well, including Corrections officer John Mills, a 15 year veteran of the DCF. All said they are angry at the Governor’s decision to abruptly shut down the prison.
“This is wrong and I repeat wrong decision,” said Mills. We were funded through June, now we are being chucked out to be unemployed. At least have the common decency to pay us what you owe us through June,” he said.
Lawyers for the two-state employee unions said they believe that between the court case and the Legislature they can force the LePage Administration to reopen the prison. The House of Representatives is scheduled to take its first vote on the bill on Thursday.