AUGUSTA, Maine — New efforts are underway to close the Long Creek Youth Development Center.
On Friday, Feb. 18, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee met to talk about LD1897, sponsored by Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland. In its original form, this bill was designed to ban use-of-force techniques (like pepper spray, tasers, prone restraint approaches, etc.) on youth at facilities under the Department of Corrections, like Long Creek.
Before legislators began discussions on Friday, Rep. Lookner raised a new point, proposing that the language of LD1897 be changed to establish a date to close Long Creek. He said it's "pretty clear" to him that there doesn't seem to be a simple statutory fix for issues at the facility. He said he has heard from a lot of people that they are in favor of closing Long Creek, which is why the direction he wants to go with this bill is setting a date for its closure.
"I've heard what everybody's saying," said. Rep. Lookner. "I know there are a lot of divergent opinions on this committee and within the department and the administration and the Legislature about the best route to move forward."
Representative Lookner added he hopes to close Long Creek to make sure youth in our state "aren't subjected to institutional trauma-inducing settings" and can stay safe "by reducing the likelihood of recidivism for youth".
Representative Charlotte Warren, D-Hallowell, said she supports Rep. Lookner's new cause.
"We're trying to fix and make a place more safe for children, but the real issue is children should not be in a prison in the first place," said Rep. Warren.
Representative Reckitt, D-South Portland, said Long Creek costs a "phenomenal amount of money" to keep running, and she doesn't believe it's responsible to Maine taxpayers. She said she would rather see more facilities in different communities to help keep youth closer to their homes and "intersect with their families", when appropriate. She said she thinks there will be a point when Long Creek needs to be closed to make that happen, since that's where resources are going.
The amendment that Rep. Lookner proposed got some pushback, too.
"It's a bill that's totally different -- and it's like a new bill," said Sen. Scott Cyrway, R-Albion, about his concerns.
Representative Shelley Rudnicki, R-Fairfield, called the amendment a "hijacking" of the original bill. She said she's against closing Long Creek because she doesn't want to put teenagers in situations that could be detrimental to those around them.
"I think that getting off onto this other tangent of closing Long Creek again — if you wanted to do it again, you should have put a bill in specifically for that, as far as I'm concerned," Rep. Rudnicki, said.
Representative Richard Pickett, R-Dixfield, said he had an opportunity to visit Long Creek and found the facility to be different than what he had heard described. He said he believes some residents in Long Creek can't be in residential settings, so there should be a designated facility for them. It's why he supports making Long Creek a better place for youth.
"I had the opportunity to talk with one of the residents there. I had this resident look at me and tell me he [doesn't] know what he would have done if it hadn't been for Long Creek to get him straightened out," Rep. Pickett said.
Christine Thibeault, the associate commissioner of the Department of Corrections, also participated in Friday's call. She said the department is "committed" to having these conversations about creating change, noting its goal is to keep youth close to their homes and meet their needs.
"We're building out these resources to get youth out of Long Creek as quickly as we possibly can. We're committed to reducing that average length of stay," Thibeault said.
Representative Lookner's amendment received support from five legislators on the committee (all Democrats). Four legislators were absent. The Portland Press Herald reports the amendment needs support from two of those lawmakers to have a chance of being ratified.
