CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Maine — The first class of corrections officers involved in a crisis intervention training program graduated at the Cumberland County Jail Friday, Feb. 8.
The Maine Attorney General said the state's law enforcement needs more training to deal with people who are mentally ill or have substance abuse problems, since more people with these conditions are entering jails.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office Correctional Division responded to this need by starting a Crisis Intervention Teams training program as a way to teach officers how to better respond to a person with these conditions in crisis.
Two corrections officers from Cumberland County were able to attend the National Institute of Corrections Crisis Intervention Teams Training. Sergeant Donald Mowatt and Corrections Officer Ian Northup attended the training and returned to Maine, developing this comprehensive 40-hour CIT program.