Cumberland County Sheriff candidate Ted Blais, of Standish, is accusing Sheriff Mark Dion of neglecting his job duties in the wake of two recent jail breaks.

“I have many concerns about the operation of the Cumberland County Jail,” Blais said. “This week we had two escaped prisoners with little or no attention by Sheriff Mark Dion.”

The two escapees that Blais referred to were 22-year-old Arthur Black who escaped on Aug. 21, and Misty Hanlon, 24, who left the jail Aug. 26. Both have since been captured and returned to the jail.

“If you are in jail,” said Blais, “how can you just walk away?”

Black, set to be released in September, and Hanlon, scheduled for release in October, were living in the pre-release area of the Cumberland County jail at the time of their escapes.

According to Dion, the pre-release center is a transitional living space where residents are allowed to leave for work detail.

“Because these prisoners are allowed to come and go for work, the facility is not locked at all times,” said Dion.

“The work sites are visited and the prisoners are supervised,” said Dion, “but it is possible that someone can walk away.”

Blais finds it unacceptable that prisoners are allowed to leave at all before their sentence is complete.

“I feel very strongly that people, who are in jail, stay in jail for the duration of their sentence,” said Blais, “These criminals must feel the importance of the process and the incarceration may be the deterrent that it was designed to be.”

Dion believes the pre-release program is a good program, but like anything else, it will only work if used properly.

“If someone abuses the program does that mean it is not a good program?” asked Dion. “No. it simply means that person did not take advantage of that program the way they should have.”

Blais also criticized Dion’s involvement in the recovery of the prisoners.

“If I were the sheriff, I would personally be out assisting in the manhunt for this violent criminal,” said Blais referring to the first escapee, Arthur Black.

Although Dion was not involved in the actual apprehension of the prisoner, he was involved in the plan to apprehend him.

“I was here when the escape occurred,” said Dion. “I talked with the Sheriffs and was active in a plan to find the prisoner.”

“I think anyone who is in a chief executive position has to rely on his staff to do the daily work, my job is to coordinate and be informed,” said Dion.

“I have excellent people that work for me,” continued Dion, “and they are completely competent in that work.”

While the second prisoner Misty Hanlon was loose on Sunday, Blais criticized Dion for spending his day golfing.

“So here we are on Sunday at noon and Ms. Hanlon has not been apprehended, and our sheriff, Mark Dion is on the golf course,” Blais said.

“I was on the golf course Sunday with my wife,” explained Dion. “I think the public would afford me one day off.”

“I see the president took a day off and went fishing this weekend,” said Dion. “And he is hunting down Al-Qaeda.”