Maine’s prisons are bulging at the bars, and the problem reaches beyond the walls of the Maine State Prison to our county jails, our streets and the pocketbooks of taxpayers. The state’s correctional system is in crisis: a record-high inmate count of 2,155 occurred on Sept. 10 and the department is now the fourth most expensive in state government at about $132 million a year. In this five-part series, we look at the problem, its causes, its effects and potential solutions. As one official said, “Building our way out of it isn’t working.”

Sunday: ‘Four girls cannot fit in that room’: An overview and a question: Is there a better way?

Monday: “The wrong types of people”: Are people going to jail who shouldn’t be? A glimpse at Maine’s sentencing practices, and how they have affected the overcrowding problem. Also, we look at research that suggests split sentencing is ineffective.

Tuesday: “Life on the installment plan”: When some people get released from prison, it’s only a matter of time until they’ll be back. We look inside an alternative program, however, with a lower recidivism rate.

Wednesday: ‘We’re playing catch-up’: It costs an average of $103 to house a prisoner, making the Department of Corrections the fourth-largest component of the state’s budget.

On the Web at www.sunjournal.com:

Sunday: An audio slideshow of our tour of the Maine Correctional Center.

Monday: Norman Croteau, district attorney for Androscoggin County, discusses his philosophy on mandatory minimums. Bruce Libby, a guard at the Maine Correctional Center, talks about the trends he’s seen at the prison over 36 years.

Tuesday: Denise Lord, associate commissioner for the Department of Corrections, analyzes the split sentencing research and suggests changes to sentencing practices. Former Superior Court Justice Ellen Gorman talks about the impact of the state’s drug court.

Wednesday: Becky Boober, executive director of the Re-Entry Network, discusses the new women’s re-entry center in Bangor. Scott Burnheimer, MCC superintendent, talks about the capacity of the residential drug program.

Thursday: Maine State Prison Warden Jeffrey D. Merrill talks about the public’s perception of the services and amenities provided prisoners, versus the reality. Burnheimer talks about prioritizing services under budget restraints.