An Act to Update Juvenile Justice System Reporting Requirements and to Direct the Department of Corrections and the Department of Health and Human Services to Study Modifying the Long Creek Youth Development Center

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STATE OF MAINE
_____
IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
_____
H.P. 1284 - L.D. 1923
An Act to Update Juvenile Justice System Reporting Requirements and to
Direct the Department of Corrections and the Department of Health and
Human Services to Study Modifying the Long Creek Youth Development
Center
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 34-A MRSA §7009, as enacted by PL 2023, c. 425, §4, is amended to read:
§7009. Publication of data
By February 15, 2024 Beginning August 15, 2026, each month the department shall
develop and publish on its publicly accessible website data regarding the number of
juveniles involved in the juvenile justice system. The data must be updated monthly and
include information regarding the numbers of juveniles referred, diverted, detained, placed
on probation, ordered to serve a period of confinement and committed to the department.
The department shall deidentify the data and remove any potential personal identifying
information of the juveniles. The data must be organized by region of the State and broken
down by age, gender and race.
Sec. 2. Department of Corrections and Department of Health and Human
Services to convene working group. The Department of Corrections and the
Department of Health and Human Services shall jointly convene a working group to
examine the current programming and use of physical facilities at the Long Creek Youth
Development Center, referred to in this section as "the center." The working group shall
provide recommendations for modifying the use of land and facilities at the center and
reinvesting corrections funds currently designated for youth incarceration into a continuum
of community-based services over the next 5 years.
1. The Commissioner of Corrections and the Commissioner of Health and Human
Services, or the commissioners' designees, shall serve as members of the working group
and shall jointly appoint the following 9 members to the working group:
A. A representative of children's behavioral health services within the Department of
Health and Human Services;
B. A representative of the Department of Education;
APPROVED
APRIL 3, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
624
PUBLIC LAW
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C. A representative of a community-based youth service provider;
D. A representative from a community-based organization offering youth shelter or
housing resources;
E. A representative of the State Forensic Service with experience in juvenile justice
matters in the State;
F. An expert in juvenile justice matters in the State;
G. A youth who has directly experienced the juvenile justice system in the State;
H. A parent of a youth who has directly experienced the juvenile justice system in the
State; and
I. A representative of a statewide labor organization representing employees at the
center.
The superintendent of the center or the superintendent's designee serves as an ex officio,
voting member of the working group.
2. The working group shall:
A. Study efforts of other states and municipalities in other states that have modified
their juvenile detention centers to determine the best practices for modifying the center;
B. Examine the current status of the land and facilities at the center to determine
opportunities for modifying the land and facilities, including renovating existing
buildings or constructing additional facilities;
C. Consider alternate uses for the land and facilities at the center, including but not
limited to a crisis receiving center, an assessment of youth in crisis center, a youth
emergency shelter, youth transitional housing and a community resource center;
D. Examine the current use of the center’s budget and staffing and explore
opportunities for alternative uses of financial and human resources for services,
including, but not limited to, housing, behavioral health, education, substance use
disorder prevention and treatment, wraparound case management and diversion;
E. Explore existing community-based services provided to youth and work with
community-based organizations to determine potential programming that could take
place at the center; and
F. Examine and recommend best practices for maintaining and operating a secure and
safe facility for juvenile clients.
3. No later than February 15, 2028, the Commissioner of Corrections and the
Commissioner of Health and Human Services shall jointly submit a report to the joint
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over criminal justice and public
safety matters that includes the working group's findings and recommendations, including
any proposed legislation related to the working group's duties. The joint standing
committee may report out legislation based on the report to the Second Regular Session of
the 133rd Legislature.