York County Sheriff's Office

Police services, corrections and civil process are the three branches of the York County Sheriff's Office in Maine, which puts out an annual report on its operations, investigations and outreach along with a quarterly bulletin called The Insider. The York County Jail in Alfred runs on a direct supervision model: officers work inside open housing units, face to face with inmates, and are responsible for managing behavior there. People held at the jail can enroll in a Medication Assisted Treatment program for addiction and get help with co-occurring mental health conditions. Since December 18, 2023, personal mail is no longer accepted; letters are scanned instead and read on kiosks or tablets. State inspectors review the jail every two years against mandatory and essential standards. Under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, a federal law (34 U.S.C. 30301 et seq.), the office enforces zero tolerance for sexual abuse and harassment, takes third-party reports and sends substantiated assault cases to the district attorney. A citizen Board of Visitors chosen by the sheriff inspects jail conditions each year under Maine law (Title 30-A, section 1651 of the Maine Revised Statutes), and residents can download a fillable voluntary written statement form.