The struggle for control of Maine’s county jails, between the governor and the counties, just ended round three. The governor won.

In 2008 then Gov. Baldacci, as he did with schools, tried to consolidate the 15 county jails from top down, merging them with the state-wide prison system.

A county jail primarily holds people awaiting trial or serving up to nine months for minor misdemeanors. A state prison holds inmates convicted of serious felonies serving up to life. National experts hold that the two populations should not mix. It is easier to work less hardened county jail occupants, when kept separate, back into society. This helps reduce recidivism (rearrest) at huge cost savings to the taxpayer.

As with schools, Baldacci’s move stirred up strong county opposition. He compromised by setting up a nine-person board of corrections (BOC) to oversee the county jails manned primarily with county reps - county executives, commissioners and sheriffs — members of the public, and state officials.

But he gave the BOC little power. Jails did pretty much as they liked, some running up major deficits and others resisting BOC efforts to rationalize operations. End round one.

Last year on reelection, frustrated Gov. Paul LePage said he’d rather take over the county jails and administer them with the state prisons; or turn them back to the counties, eliminating up to $20 million in state subsidies. The legislature said no and passed laws to strengthen the BOC, to be governed by a five-person board. End round two.

This winter the governor struck back, neutering the BOC by refusing to fill the two seats he controls, and to replace a county commissioner who resigned earlier this month. The remaining two members could not form a quorum and the BOC went on hold.

Hence, round three to the governor.

Counties are now scampering to see how to survive if LePage gives them back their jails without the $20 million in subsidies, as he has increasingly threatened. The governor has said publicly he’d rather scrap the BOC, and spend the money on the poor, the disadvantaged and cutting taxes.

Some jails are in good financial and physical shape, expertly managed and could probably survive. Freed of BOC supervision, they could, for example, charge market rates renting out excess cells — say $80-100 per day — instead of the state-imposed $22.

Such is the case with our Two Bridges Regional Jail, a joint venture between Lincoln County and Sagadahoc counties, located just north of Wiscasset Village.

Other county jails are not in as good shape and, without state subsidies, will have to go back to their county taxpayers to cover large budget deficits, or the cost of expansion to eliminate local overcrowding and/or to rebuild aging plant.

Not a happy prospect.

On to round four.

Hamilton Meserve is one of Lincoln County’s three elected Commissioners and represents District 1: Westport, Southport, Boothbay Harbor, Boothbay, Edgecomb and Wiscasset. He sits on the Two Bridges Jail Authority and its Finance Committee and serves on the Working (Research) Group of the State Board of Corrections (BOC).