Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Juvenile Justice Long Creek topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Maine lawmakers to study repurposing Long Creek after emotional testimony from youth and advocates
Summary
Representative Michael Brennan's amended LD 19 23 would convene a cross-agency working group to assess repurposing Long Creek Youth Development Center and expand community-based alternatives. Multiple young people who experienced Long Creek and advocacy groups urged transformation toward trauma-informed, rehabilitative services.
Representative Michael Brennan introduced an amended LD 19 23 asking state agencies to form a working group to study repurposing Long Creek Youth Development Center and building a stronger community system of care.
Brennan told the committee the state's juvenile population has fallen from a projected capacity of roughly 300 decades ago to under 50 today, and said the amendment directs an interagency working group to examine alternative uses, community residential options and steps to reduce unnecessary detention. "If it was built for 163 and we're under 50, why aren't we rethinking, right-sizing and anticipating what the future use might be?" Brennan asked.
DOC and juvenile-system staff said they support using a structured planning process but recommended changes to timing and membership. Jill O'Brien of the Department of Corrections said DOC would support the sponsor's amendment if the working-group deadline is extended (she suggested October 2027) and if DOC leads appointments to avoid confusion in membership selection. The department also noted a statutory reporting requirement (section 7009 of Title 34-A) already requires monthly juvenile data and proposed deleting redundant language.
The afternoon included extensive testimony from young people with lived experience at Long Creek and from advocates and unions. Witnesses described confinement with limited programming, inconsistent staffing, and painful personal experiences such as being denied in-person or virtual attendance at family funerals while incarcerated. Witness Francis Batchelder said multiple stays at Long Creek left him feeling punished rather than rehabilitated, and urged investment in treatment, reentry planning and community-based alternatives.
Committee members asked DOC and the sponsor to refine the amendment language, produce a clear list of working-group members for the work session, and ensure youth voice in deliberations. The committee closed the public hearings for the morning and scheduled detailed follow-up work sessions.
