Defense attorney: Plea deal being negotiated for former jail guard accused of sex assault
ROCKLAND, Maine — Plea negotiations are ongoing between the defense and district attorney’s office for a former Knox County Jail guard accused of sexually assaulting a female inmate.
New state prison mental health center met with optimism
WARREN, Maine — Last spring, Maine Corrections Commissioner Joseph Ponte said that during a Cabinet meeting, Gov. Paul LePage leaned over and said to him that more beds for the seriously mentally ill were needed.
Bigger prison, same staff: The math behind LePage’s plan to double beds at Windham prison
As lawmakers work to firm up a state budget that’s out of balance and debate an expansion of Medicaid, a proposal to nearly double the capacity of the Maine Correctional Center in Windham will resurface in coming weeks.
Maine State Prison inmate dies
WARREN, Maine — The death of a 53-year-old prisoner at the Maine State Prison does not appear to be suspicious, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Outcomes of 2 Maine prisoner death cases raise questions as a third inmate murder case gets ready for trial
ROCKLAND, Maine — Three Maine State Prisoners have been beaten to death in less than five years but the outcomes of the first two cases have had mixed results.
Brewer man pleads no contest to assaulting prisoner who later died
ROCKLAND, Maine — A former Maine State Prison inmate could serve nine more months behind bars for his role in the April 2009 beating death of another prisoner.
‘Overdue’ overhaul of Maine criminal laws could be delayed by price tag
AUGUSTA, Maine — The monumental and, as some say, overdue task of overhauling the laws around crime in Maine began to unfold Wednesday around the central question of “how monumental should the task be?”
2nd Knox County jail guard accused of sex assaults against female inmate
ROCKLAND, Maine — A second Knox County Jail guard has been accused of sexually assaulting a female inmate.
Maine’s spending on prisoner health drops but remains among highest in country
Maine has slowed its spending on health care for prisoners over the past decade but remains one of the highest spenders in the country, according to a study conducted by two national nonprofit organizations.
Probationers, photos, nature of crimes removed from publicly accessible Maine prisoner database
WARREN, Maine — A recent change that eliminates some information from the Maine Department of Corrections’ online prisoner-probationer databasehas been greeted with relief by the state’s prisoner advocates.
Prison education program offers new beginnings for Maine inmates
WARREN, Maine — Sergio Hairston played varsity football for Lewiston High School, but the running back had spotty attendance and left school in October 2006, his senior year.
Experts: Number of women in Maine prisons has grown sixfold since 2002
PORTLAND, Maine — The number of women held in the Maine state prison system has grown nearly sixfold since 2002, a stark increase that experts say is sparking new conversations about the best way to rehabilitate female criminals.
Inmate manslaughter trial postponed due to late filing of evidence by state
ROCKLAND, Maine — The jury trial of a former Maine State Prison inmate accused of beating another prisoner to death more than four years ago has been postponed until at least January after the defense said it was provided with a “mind-boggling” amount of evidence at the 11th hour.
Former Knox County Jail guard charged with sexually assaulting inmate
ROCKLAND, Maine — A former Knox County Jail guard was arrested Tuesday and charged with sexually assaulting a former inmate at least three times while she was incarcerated last year.
Increased violence at Maine’s psych hospital prompts reform
AUGUSTA, Maine — Of the 92 people in state custody who were found “not criminally responsible” for crimes, 18 have been charged with at least one count of murder.
Maine’s mentally ill more likely to be in prison than hospital
Maine lawmakers last week signed off on a plan that will allow the state to transfer certain patients from Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta, one of Maine’s two state-run psychiatric hospitals, to an expanded, 32-bed mental health unit at Maine State Prison in Warren.
Judge: Brewer man charged in prison death will be held without bail — if he’s found
OCKLAND, Maine — A state judge has ordered that when police track down a Brewer area man, who is charged with manslaughter in the 2009 beating deathof a Maine State Prison inmate, he be held without bail.
Planned $100 million prison in Windham controversial
WINDHAM, Maine — Inside this fenced-in, fortresslike prison building, guards never stop watching from behind tinted windows.
Inmate hangs himself at Aroostook County Jail in Houlton
HOULTON, Maine — Maine State Police are investigating what they said Monday was the early morning suicide of an inmate at the Aroostook County Jail.
Case of Liberty felon highlights problems released prisoners face when rejoining society
LIBERTY, Maine — What would happen if a person committed a violent crime as a young person, served time for it, found it tough to find a place to live after prison and ended up staying in a camper trailer near a public park?