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Sheriff Cheryl reports low county jail census and explains out-of-county contracts and traffic details
Summary
Sheriff Cheryl told commissioners the county had 14 local inmates and is housing dozens of out-of-county inmates under contract; commissioners asked about contract caps and traffic-stop reporting (noting high counts in Bath and Topsham).
Sheriff Cheryl reported to the Sagadahoc County Commissioners on March 10 that county calls for service are down and that the county jail census is low for the season, with 14 county inmates at the Converge regional jail.
Cheryl said the jail is also housing inmates from other counties under contract, including 55 inmates from Penobscot County (the contract typically covers 50 beds, with an overage fee for extra beds), and additional inmates from Knox and Lincoln counties. She explained that the marshal service contract typically results in two to four marshal inmates at any time and that those numbers briefly spiked when neighboring counties shifted populations in recent years.
Commissioners questioned traffic-stop numbers showing notably large counts in Bath and Topsham. The sheriff clarified that location statistics reflect where the stop occurred (for example, Route 1 intersections) and that distracted-driving enforcement details likely account for higher counts in those towns. She said the county routinely partners with town police and has no apparent turf conflicts.
The sheriff also said staffing remains one unfilled position, two cadets are in the academy, and union negotiations are ongoing.
Next steps: commissioners will continue monitoring jail contract terms and staffing; the jail-authority meeting scheduled for March 11 was noted for further coordination on integrating Knox inmates into regional operations.
