AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine lawmakers and proponents testified for a bill designed to reduce the number of children held in confinement at the state's only secure facility for juveniles. The Portland Press Herald reports that no one testified against the legislation to reduce the capacity and population of the Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland on Wednesday.
Many said the bill does not go far enough to close the facility and took a neutral position. District Attorney for District 6 Natasha Irving says "incarcerating children is traumatic" and that trauma propagates future criminal behavior. She says she hopes this is the first step towards investing in children.
