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. 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.

SUNDAY: ‘Four girls cannot fit in that room’

MONDAY: “The wrong types of people:” Are people going to jail who shouldn’t be?

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.

TODAY: “We’re playing catch-up”: The Department of Corrections budget has swelled 80 percent over the last 10 years.

On the Web:

At www.sunjournal.com: Maine State Prison Warden Jeffrey D. Merrill talks about the public’s perception of the services and amenities provided prisoners, versus the reality. Scott Burnheimer, superintendent of the Maine Correctional Center in Windham, talks about prioritizing services under budget restraints.