Everything we know about Penobscot County’s plan to build a new jail in Hampden

By Marie Weidmayer, Bangor Daily News Staff

A potential site has been chosen for the new Penobscot County Jail, but there are significant steps to be completed before a new facility can be constructed.

The Penobscot County Commission has chosen a site at the Ammo Industrial Park in Hampden, the Bangor Daily News exclusively reported. The news came just weeks after County Administrator Scott Adkins said the commission had narrowed its options down to two potential sites. 

But many questions still remain about the future of the Penobscot County Jail, and there are hurdles that remain for the county to begin construction. Here’s what we know so far about the project. 

Where is the proposed site?

The county has chosen a 30-acre site at the Ammo Industrial Park in Hampden, just outside of Bangor city limits and located south of I-95. 

Is the Hampden site selection final?

The Penobscot County Commissioners signed an option agreement for the property, which means the county has exclusive rights to purchase the property for a specific period of time.

Wetlands reviews of the property have shown that the land is viable for a correctional facility, the commissioners said in a press release on Thursday. Additional testing results are needed to move forward with the purchase.

Will Penobscot County residents vote on the new jail plan?

Penobscot County voters will need to approve a bond to pay for the new jail. Voters must also approve moving the jail out of the county seat of Bangor and into Hampden.

The original goal was for the questions to be on the November ballot, but as of early July Adkins said it may be too late to include them in that election because there needs to be ample time to provide information to voters.

The county is very eager to share more details as the project develops, Adkins told the BDN. The public deserves full transparency to make an informed vote. He said it is important for the county to teach people about what passing the future bond means, and what happens if it fails.

The next election is in June 2026 and it may be on the ballot then, according to a source with knowledge of the location decision. The source spoke to the BDN on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the decision.

How much will a new jail cost?

It’s too early to provide an estimated amount for the bond because the number of beds will determine that, Adkins said. However, there is a much less expensive option than prior project proposals, he said. A plan scrapped in 2020 would have built an eight-story jail for around $70 million. 

The current jail is licensed for 157 beds and the county will spend more than $2.5 million this year to board people at other jails. An average of 69 people were boarded at other jails in 2024.

The Penobscot County Commission had a presentation in February from RQAW | DCCM, a company that says it builds the “jail of tomorrow” and uses fully customizable modular construction. At the time, Sheriff Troy Morton said the cost estimate was half of other quotes, but he did not provide numbers.

How big will the new jail be? 

While the county is not sure of the exact number of beds in the new facility, the estimate is 275 beds or more, Adkins said. That estimate is based on the current jail population and standards from the state about “necessary separation of population demographics,” he said.

The shell of the building can be built to county specifications and the cells are pre-built off-site to be delivered when they’re needed, Adkins said. That allows it to be cost effective and efficient, while providing the potential for adaptions in the future, he said.

“The overall layout is much more conducive to operational efficiencies which should definitely lead to controlling future costs,” Adkins said.

Why does the county need a new jail?

County officials say the Penobscot County Jail is in poor condition and that it is not worth making repairs to the building, which was constructed in 1869. Buying a piece of property is the first step toward building the new facility.

What are the arguments against a new jail?

Building a new jail with more beds is not the solution, said Larry Dansinger, a member of No Penobscot County Jail Expansion. It will cost taxpayers and likely lead to more arrests because there are more beds available, he said.

Instead of saving money, it may cost the county more because it will be housing more people, Dansinger said.

If the new jail is built, it will be filled with people, no matter what, said Doug Dunbar, a member of the No Penobscot County Jail Expansion. County officials will not want to stand in front of an expensive new jail and say it is half empty, he said.

A better solution is a diversion program, which mandates structured instruction and provides services such as housing, substance use treatment and mental health treatment and is a better use of taxpayer dollars, Dansinger said.

That program would be significantly cheaper and allow the county to make repairs to the existing jail, Dansinger said.

“If we double the size of the jail we will lose much or all of the incentive to treat people in the community and to help them get well,” Dunbar said.