Maine Revised Statutes
Subchapter 3: PRISON LABOR
30-A §1605. Employment of county jail prisoners

§1605. Employment of county jail prisoners
1. Order of release; purpose. Any person sentenced or committed to a county jail for crime, nonpayment of a fine or forfeiture or court order or criminal or civil contempt of court, may be granted the privilege of leaving the jail during necessary and reasonable hours for any of the following purposes:
A. Employment; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
B. Conducting that person's own business or occupation, including, in the case of a person primarily responsible for the family's housekeeping and domestic needs, housekeeping and attending the needs of that family; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
C. Attendance at a weekly religious service; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
D. Attendance at an educational institution; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
E. Medical treatment; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
F. Voluntary services within the county in which the jail is located; or [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
G. To work or provide service to the victim of the crime in accordance with Title 17‑A, chapter 69, but only with the express approval of the victim. [PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §78 (AMD).]
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §78 (AMD).]
2. Grant of privilege; withdrawal.
[PL 2001, c. 171, §1 (RP).]
2-A. Grant of privilege. The sheriff may grant a privilege described in subsection 1.
A. [PL 2003, c. 413, §1 (RP).]
B. [PL 2003, c. 413, §1 (RP).]
[PL 2003, c. 413, §1 (AMD).]
3. Wages, self-employment income; collection. If a prisoner is employed for wages or salary, the sheriff shall collect the wages or salary or require the prisoner to turn over the wages or salary in full when received. If the prisoner is self-employed, the self-employment income must be turned over to the sheriff. The sheriff shall deposit the income in a trust checking account and shall keep a ledger showing the status of the account of each prisoner. The wages or salaries are not subject to trustee process in the hands of either the employer or the sheriff, and the self-employment income is not subject to trustee process in the hands of the sheriff during the prisoner's term and may be disbursed only as provided in this section; but for tax purposes they are income of the prisoner.
[PL 2003, c. 413, §2 (AMD).]
3-A. Wages, self-employment income; collection.
[PL 2003, c. 413, §3 (RP).]
4. Board; transportation. Every prisoner gainfully employed is liable for the cost of board in the jail, as fixed by the county commissioners. If necessarily absent from jail at a mealtime, the prisoner shall by request be furnished with an adequate nourishing lunch to carry to work. The sheriff shall charge the prisoner's account, if there is one, for board.
If prisoners are gainfully self-employed, they shall pay the sheriff for board, in default of which privileges under this section are automatically forfeited.
If the jail food is furnished directly by the county, the sheriff shall account for and pay over these board payments to the county treasurer. The county commissioners may provide that the county furnish or pay for the transportation of prisoners employed under this section to and from the place of employment.
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
5. Disbursements. The wages or salaries of employed prisoners and employment income of self-employed prisoners must be disbursed by the sheriff for the following purposes, in the following order:
A. The board of the prisoners; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
B. Necessary travel expenses to and from work and other incidental expenses of the prisoners; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
C. Support of the prisoners' dependents, if any; [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
D. Payments, either in full or ratably, of restitution, and of the prisoners' obligations, acknowledged in writing, in accordance with Title 17‑A, chapter 69, or that have been reduced to judgment; [PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §79 (AMD).]
D-1. Any fine, forfeiture, penalty or fee imposed upon a defendant; [PL 2003, c. 413, §4 (NEW).]
D-2. Any amount of attorney's fees or other expense authorized by the court at the request of the defendant or attorney and actually paid by the State on behalf of the defendant on the grounds that the defendant has been found to be indigent; [PL 2003, c. 413, §4 (NEW).]
D-3. Any surcharge imposed by Title 4, section 1057; and [PL 2003, c. 413, §4 (NEW).]
E. The balance, if any, to the prisoners upon their release. [PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §79 (AMD).]
5-A. Disbursements.
[PL 2003, c. 413, §5 (RP).]
6. Restitution disbursements. Notwithstanding subsection 5, the wages or salaries of employed prisoners, employment income of self-employed prisoners or income from any other source must be disbursed by the sheriff in accordance with any restitution authorized by section 1562. These disbursements may not be authorized until any disbursements required by subsection 5, paragraphs A to D have been made.
[PL 2003, c. 413, §6 (AMD).]
7. Employment in other county. The sheriff may arrange with another sheriff for the employment of the prisoner in the other's county, and while so employed to be in the other's custody, but in other respects to be and continue subject to the commitment.
[PL 2003, c. 413, §7 (AMD).]
7-A. Employment in other county.
[PL 2003, c. 413, §8 (RP).]
8. Evaluation of need of dependents. The welfare director or the board of overseers of the municipality in which the prisoner's dependents reside, or the Department of Health and Human Services, shall at the request of the court investigate and report to the court the amount necessary for the support of the prisoner's dependents.
[PL 2021, c. 275, §20 (AMD).]
9. Denial of privilege. The sheriff may refuse to permit prisoners to exercise their privileges to leave the jail, as provided in subsection 1, for any breach of discipline or other violation of jail regulations. Any prisoner so disciplined may petition either the District Court or the Superior Court for a review of that disciplinary action. The court, after review, shall make any order that it considers appropriate.
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
10. Violations. Persons who willfully violate the terms of their release relating to the time for reporting to their place of employment or to any other place to which they may be released under subsection 1, paragraphs A to E, or for reporting back to the county jail may be punished by imprisonment for not more than 60 days. A prisoner who does not return to the county jail within 48 hours from the time scheduled to return is guilty of escape under Title 17‑A, section 755.
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
11. Rules of procedure. Proceedings under this section are subject to the rules of procedure adopted under Title 4, section 9.
[PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1987, c. 737, Pt. C, §106 (NEW); PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 104, Pt. C, §§8, 10 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1987, c. 737, §§A2,C106 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 6 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 9, §2 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 104, §§C8,10 (AMD). PL 2001, c. 171, §§1-8 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 413, §§1-8 (AMD). PL 2003, c. 689, §B6 (REV). PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §§78, 79 (AMD). PL 2021, c. 275, §20 (AMD).