DOVER-FOXCROFT — With the exception of staffing and the classification of prisoners, the Piscataquis County Jail is in compliance with state regulations.

Maine Department of Correction officials made an inspection of the jail in November, the results of which were reviewed Wednesday by the Piscataquis County Commissioners.

“I’m very happy we came out with a 93 percent compliance rate, but not very happy that one of the areas we’re in non-compliance is staffing,” said commissioner Chairman Eben DeWitt.

The report claimed there was not always sufficient staff at the jail to perform all functions to keep the facility in compliance with state standards.

Staffing at the jail has been an issue for some local officials in the past few months. Because of this concern, Sheriff John Goggin requested that the Department of Corrections do a staffing analysis. Goggin already operates the jail with reduced staffing through a variance requested in 1991.

During the annual county budget hearing last month, some town officials were upset because of the loss of boarding revenue and the low jail population.

These officials were told that the jail population changes daily. While the jail may have only five inmates one morning, it could have more than 20 inmates by the end of the day. It would be difficult to find trained corrections officers who would work as needed to cover jail security, according to jail officials.

The commissioners were told that approval to reduce staffing on the second shift in December 1991 was contingent on calling in extra staff as needed. These conditions agreed to in communications between the commissioners and the Department of Corrections were not being met, according to the report.

The commissioners learned that as a result of not calling in extra staff as needed, correctional officers at times may be required to enter high-security areas without assistance from other staff members or available backup.

Greenville Town Manager David Cota asked the commissioners Wednesday, in a letter, to appoint a committee to look into staffing needed to operate the jail.

“In light of the substantial reduction in the number of prisoners now being boarded in the jail and the subsequent loss of revenue, something clearly needs to be done to reduce the staffing level at the jail to reduce costs,” Cota wrote.

Cota told the commissioners that the committee’s purpose would be to visit the jail, to discuss the issues with jail administrators, and to meet with appropriate state and federal officials to request a variance to reduce staffing.

“It certainly seems that the jail staffing level, which actually exceeds the number of prisoners we have in the jail, is certainly excessive,” Cota said.

Because Goggin has requested the staffing analysis, the commissioners voted to wait for a response before any committee was organized.