PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Maine corrections officials who are considering reforms to the state’s juvenile justice system have hired a Washington, D.C.-based juvenile justice policy group.
The Portland Press Herald reports the $227,000 contract with the Center for Children’s Law and Policy will result in a comprehensive report due in February 2020.
Last month, the Department of Corrections hired the group to assist a 30-member task force of advocates, lawmakers, state officials and law enforcement representative charged with rethinking how Maine treats juvenile offenders.
Possible reforms could include shuttering Maine’s only child prison.
Corrections Commissioner Randall Liberty says it costs $44,000 to house an adult in state custody, and that it’s cheaper to invest money in supporting kids.
Maine spent $15.8 million to house about 50 children in the fiscal year that ended June.
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