To the editor:

On Monday, January 28, 2008, the Legislative Criminal Justice Committee heard testimony in which many of the participants, including DOC Commissioner Magnusson, referred to the Corrections Alternative Advisory Committee (CAAC) final report of December 2006. It stated that MDOC lacked bed space for approximately 200 inmates.

Thereafter, the Maine newspaper headlines claimed emergency overcrowding. Before Commissioner Magnusson had inmate correspondent Deane Brown held incommunicado in November 2006 and shipped out of state where he remains without telephone access, even to his attorney, he reported on his radio show, and sent a letter to Chairman Bill Diamond to share with the committee, an outline of exactly where there were 400 empty bed spaces at Maine State Prison.

This was corroborated by guards and inmates. I question whether the whole CAAC board visually inspected the whole MSP, or whether they took the Commissioners word for his lack of bed spaces. Taxpayers should ask them. The board members were; Martin Magnusson, Co-chair, Scott Story, Co-chair, Peter Baldacci, Ed Barrett, Hartwell Dowling, James Foss, Evert Fowle, Denise Lord, Hon. Robert Mullen, Ralph Nichols, Hon. Leigh Saufley.

It is a criminal offense for a government official to present or use any record, document or thing knowing it to be false. This is why I am asking the whole Legislative Committee to physically go and inspect the Maine State Prison to ascertain how much bed space is there, before considering whether to turn over County jail spaces to any State board.

Ramona Clark
Rockland

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