PARIS — The Oxford County Jail passed a state inspection, extending its license for another two years even as long-term discussions over its mission remain unresolved.

In a memo, jail Administrator Capt. Edward Quinn, who presented the findings to county officials Tuesday morning, wrote that the perfect rating was due to the diligence of the staffs’ daily routine.

Released on Monday, the inspection report by the Maine Department of Corrections found the facility clean and in compliance with all state statutes. 

Jails must fully comply with all state statutes in order to receive licensing. The report, which catalogs everything from evacuation plans to cleanliness and the ambient temperature of each room, is conducted every two years. The report included a certificate authorizing the jail to hold up to 27 inmates until March 31, 2017. 

The inspection comes amid discussions over the long-term future of the state’s jail system. As a 72-hour holding facility, the county jail transports any inmates who either cannot post or are denied bail to jails in Portland, Wiscasset or Auburn. 

By the summer, that situation could begin to change.

When Maine’s 15 county jails were consolidated in 2008, Oxford County Jail was downgraded from full-time to a temporary holding facility.

Funding for the entire system was split between the counties and the state, with three counties, including Oxford, making payments to the state, and others receiving funding from the Board of Corrections, which was formed to oversee system.

At the same time, jail funding was capped at 2009 levels, effectively flat-funding the system, with the state making up the difference.

However, costs have risen and the Board of Corrections, designated to appropriate jail funding, doesn’t have enough members to meet, resulting in a $2.5 million shortfall. An emergency stop-gab bill has since been approved. 

On Tuesday, Sheriff Wayne Gallant addressed an outstanding issue the Legislature will have to tackle: whether the counties will regain control of the jails or cede it all to the state, and who will pay for it. 

The jail would likely have to be reinspected if it became a full-time facility, according to Quinn. Also, he said, the funding formula on surcharges and fees, designed in 1997, underfunds jails and needs to be addressed. 

Gallant told commissioners he believes that if jails are returned to the counties, the state should help foot some of the operational costs.

“A lot of people arrested are on probation violations, and are really a Department of Corrections prisoner,” he said. “(They) violated DOC standards and restrictions. We’re hoping that message will get to the governor’s office.”

If not, the elimination of state funding could result in a massive tax increase to county taxpayers. The Sheriff’s Office has estimated it will cost taxpayers at least an additional $1.3 million to regain control, plus the cost of expanding hours to operate full time. 

As discussions intensify in the coming months, county officials are drafting a letter to the local congressional delegation detailing their stance. Without knowing how things will end up, Gallant said every little bit can help. 

“It isn’t always testimony you give, but the discussions in the hallways between sessions,” he said. 

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