by Sarah Craighead Dedmon

Though the words prison and jail are often used interchangeably, in the case of local facilities they refer to two different places. The Downeast Correctional Facility (DCF) in Machiasport is a state prison used for long-term incarceration, and the Washington County Jail in Machias is run by the county and used for shorter-term incarceration. 

This week they have something more than geography in common—the state wants to close them both.