Facilities. They recently implemented a new validated reading comprehension test for the correction
officer hiring process. They are looking at how effective it is to reduce turnover. They have been doing
it for two months and there is a 60% failure rate, and it has impacted hiring, so there are two or three
hires a month instead of eight.
Commissioner Gorden asked Commissioner Cloutier about the workforce programs offered by Coastal
County Workforce and their remedial programs. Commissioner Cloutier stated that he was not sure
and they are in a transition period, however, it was a possibility.
District Attorney Jaqueline Sartoris commented that her office implemented the Restorative Justice
contract as of April 1st. She stated that 7% of the cases will go to restorative justice, or between 400 to
500 a year, an update will be provided in September. She will also compare the recidivism rate of
individuals who do not participate in Restorative Justice with those who do. She thanked the Board for
their approval of the agenda item and their office is moving forward with hiring a sex assault
investigator as it transitions to a certified law enforcement agency. She noted that they are
transitioning to a new efiling system for criminal cases in September.
She has heard from other counties that there is a lot of frustration with the implementation and staff
will need to spend additional time uploading files. Commissioner Cloutier commented that he had not
heard anything positive about the new efiling system and its ease of use. IT Technician Bryson
Bouffard offered county IT to assist with the transition. Commissioner Gorden asked if the State was
able to offer any financial support for additional staffing, DA Sartoris explained that three years ago a
data bridge was to be developed for the transition, however it was never completed. Commissioner
Cloutier explained that the software was designed for ease of use by the courts but difficult to manage
documents. The software was designed by his cousin and made by Tyler Technologies and has not
improved since 2019.
Sheriff Joyce shared that the Town of Gray decided to cancel their patrol contract come July. He
learned that this decision by the Town was due to increased county taxes. Regarding staffing, he
supports the validated reading comprehension test and its role in hiring. He gave an update on the
corrections officer who was arrested January 22nd by ICE, he has been rehired and is completing the
academy. He echoed HR Director Jennings' concern about the impact of Maine Paid Family Medical
Leave on staffing. He stated that he wanted to address the “elephant in the room”, he will continue to
follow the law and accept ICE inmates until the law states otherwise. He explained that in his January
23rd press conference he gave ICE feedback about their police tactics that was not well received. As a
result, ICE decided not to house any of their inmates at the Cumberland County Jail. He pointed out
that if his staff used the same tactics as ICE, they would be fired. He stated that he was elected to do
public safety and will continue to lock up criminals. Though the county will not receive revenue for
them. He worked with officials to craft LD 2058 to address administrative arrests versus criminal
arrests. Sheriff Joyce agreed with Commissioner Cloutier that they cannot change ICE. ICE needs to
change and stop terrorizing communities. The fallout on the communities has put strain on his staff.
Commissioner Cloutier commented that he has been reviewing the statute and when he circled
through the documents, it's plain that the regulation is very specific, but it's not plain that the regulation
is actually authorized by the law that exists. He asked, if there is a point that the Sheriff is being asked
to incarcerate particularly civil offender ICE detainees, could the Sheriff notify the Board? This will
enable them to consider filing an action in court to clarify whether that is in fact a proper understanding
of those legal rules. While he is not a judge, it’s clear that the regulation is exactly as the Sheriff
understands it. But that the law that was supposed to be the source of authority for the regulation, and
doesn't support the regulation in the way that the Department of Corrections has interpreted it. It may
well be that they would have the legal right to say no, that they are not going to take any civil detainees
regardless if a sworn officer shows up with them or not, unless there is a crime being alleged and
enforced where they are not eligible to come into the jail. Commissioner Cloutier asked Sheriff Joyce
to inform the Board so that they could address the matter.
