Collaborative Criminal Justice and Pretrial Services Progam

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2011

In the State of Maine, Aroostook County is the largest county geographically, encompassing 6,672 square miles, and area larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Its population of approximately 75,000 is diverse, with significant rural areas covering much of the region, but also with a number of bustling urban areas as well. It also borders with Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada and is one of the largest counties east of the Mississippi River. This complex region poses unique challenges for any countywide criminal justice system, and the Sheriff’s Department of Aroostook County has worked in a comprehensive manner to address the needs of the incarcerated and pretrial populations under its jurisdiction. Their pretrial services contract, use of video conferencing, technology to span courts located hundreds of miles apart, participation in an innovative transportation system, and their close collaboration with the judiciary has set an excellent precedent.