Bangor resident urges Penobscot County to release jail boarding costs and inmate demographics; county staff say they will provide existing records under FOIA

A Bangor resident used the public‑comment period at the Jan. 21 Penobscot County meeting to ask commissioners for detailed information about jail boarding costs and inmate demographics.

Larry Dansinger identified himself as a Bangor resident and said he was responding to media reporting that the county might pay up to $2,500,000 next year for boarding out inmates. “I’d like to know if I can get figures from either the sheriff or somebody in the county commissioner’s office about the actual cost,” Dansinger said. He added that he planned to seek additional details, including whether any opioid‑settlement money had been committed to specific projects and demographic breakdowns of people in the jail (for example, how many are pretrial, how many have children or partners who are affected by incarceration).

County staff thanked him and asked that he submit his questions by email so the offices could respond formally. A county speaker noted that, under FOIA law, staff can provide documents the county already holds but are not required to create new documents to answer hypothetical or analytic questions. “I think under FOIA law, when we’re asked for documents, we can provide documents of things we have. We’re not required to go create documents for people,” the staff speaker said.

Commissioners and staff agreed to respond to Dansinger’s request and to report back on the cost of compiling the demographic information, if any cost would be incurred to gather or summarize data. Dansinger indicated he would submit the request by email.

No vote or formal county commitment to commission new analyses was recorded in the public transcript; staff said they will provide existing documents and estimate any cost to assemble additional requested information.