Department of Corrections

Record Group

Identifier: US-MeSA-03

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Maine State Archives (MSA) collects and holds the permanent historical records of the Maine State Government. MSA was created in 1965. By 1971, MSA housed the historical records that had been held by the Secretary of State, Legislature, Courts and Executive Departments. This included records from defunct agencies.

With the implementation of a records management system, groups of records were identified as having permanent historical value and were sent to the Archives after a designated period of time. These included Commissioner/Executive correspondence, meeting minutes from Boards and Commissions, as well as department-specific records.

Dates

1853 -

Biographical / Historical

The Maine State Prison was created by legislation in 1824 and it was overseen by a Warden and Inspector. The duties of the Inspector of the State Prison would become those of the Board of Prison Commissioners in 1917.

In 1913 the State Board of Charities and Corrections was formed. By 1931 it became the Department of Public Welfare, and the Bureau of Institutional Services. In 1939 it became the Department of Institutional Services, and by 1959 it was again changed to the Department of Mental Health and Corrections.

In 1917 the State Reformatory for Women was established (later known as the Women’s Correctional Center), and was followed in 1919 by the State Reformatory for Men, later the Men’s Correctional Center (1967).

The State Reform School was founded in 1853 for juveniles, changing the name to the State School for Boys in 1903, and again to the Boys’ Training Center in 1959. In 1915 the Maine Industrial School for Girls was opened. Its name was later changed to State School for Girls (1915), then to Stevens Training Center(1959) and finally the Stevens School (1967). In 1976 the population of the Stevens School was relocated to the Boys Training Center site and renamed the Maine Youth Center. In 2002, it was renamed again to Long Creek Youth Development Center.

In 1911 the Trustees of Juvenile Institutions was formed to oversee the Reform Schools. In 1933 the duties were assumed by the Department of Health and Welfare.

The Bureau of Corrections was created in 1967; in 1981, the Legislature created the Department of Corrections.

The Department of Corrections is responsible for the direction and administration of the Maine State Prison, the Maine Correctional Center, the Charleston Correctional Facility, Long Creek Youth Development Center, Mountain View Youth Development Center, the Downeast Correctional Facility, Bolduc Correctional Facility, and the Southern Maine Re-entry Center. The Department also administers community corrections programs for adult and juvenile probationers.