Aroostook County Jail Reports 2nd Covid-19 Outbreak

HOULTON, Maine — The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Friday that the Aroostook County Jail in Houlton is currently facing its second outbreak of COVID-19 cases, with 12 inmates and two correctional staff testing positive for the virus. The first outbreak at the prison occurred last March, which shut down most services and a temporary halt to taking in new prisoners. Aroostook County Sheriff Shawn Gillen said there were no plans for a shutdown of services this time, but acknowledged that the prison was stretched for resources when it came to combating the outbreak. “It’s just crazy.