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NEWS RELEASE AND STATEMENT ON LEGISLATION
AUTHORIZING REGIONAL DETENTION CENTERS

February 14, 1968

The Agnew administration today introduced legislation to enable
Maryland's counties to construct and operate regional prisons as a
supplement to or replacement for county jails.

The bill authorizes any county or Baltimore City to establish such
regional detention centers by entering into contractual agreements
with other counties, or the State, or both.

The purpose of the legislation is to enable and encourage the opera-
tion of improved correctional services and facilities at the local level.

Provisions are made for State financial assistance up to 50 percent
of the construction costs and to pay 50 percent of the costs for spe-
cialized rehabilitation. The State presently is required to pay half the
cost of improvements or repairs to jails if mandated by the State jail
inspection program.

Under terms of the new legislation, once a county or counties agree
on a regional detention project, they may apply to the Commissioner
of Correction for State financial assistance. Broad discretionary powers
for the development of criteria and standards are vested in the Com-
missioner rather than specified in the bill.

Projects approved by the Commissioner would be eligible for 50
percent State aid for construction and 50 percent of the salaries of any
rehabilitation, training and educational personnel hired to conduct an
approved rehabilitation program. Regular prison employees such as
guards, cooks and administrative officials would not be eligible for
matching State support. The State's emphasis would be on adding to
and improving the quality of professional training personnel.

Final approval for all regional projects would be vested in the State
Board of Public Works.

The measure also specifies that the State could house prisoners in
such regional facilities under contract with the subdivisions. Judges
would be empowered to sentence offenders with limited terms (up to
18 months) directly to regional detention centers.

"One of the main purposes of this measure is to upgrade rehabilita-
tion and training opportunities for short-term offenders, while re-
lieving congestion in our present State prison system, " Governor
Agnew said.