Carol Field, the grandmother from Standish who is charged in a string of arsons in Cumberland and York counties, wants to be released on her own recognizance so she can stay out of jail and continue mental health treatment.

Field, 66, was arrested in September by investigators with the state Fire Marshal’s Office and now faces a total of 15 arson charges.

She has been getting evaluation and treatment at the state’s Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta.

Her attorneys say that has vastly improved her competency to participate in her own defense. They worry that treatment might cease if she is returned to the York County Jail as intended, said Peter Richard, co-counsel with J.P. DeGrinney.

“Her participation in group therapy and individualized counseling are all crucial to her functioning remaining at a competent level,” said a motion filed last week in Cumberland County Unified Court.

Richard said it is unlikely that Field could get the same level of treatment in the York County Jail and she does not have the means to make her $100,000 bail. He has asked that she be released with a Maine Pretrial Services contract or at least have bail lowered to an amount she can afford so she can get treatment in the community.

A ruling on whether to amend her bail was continued until June 22 while the court rules on whether to consolidate the charges against Field, now in York and Cumberland counties, into a single set of charges in one court system.

Staff Writer David Hench can be contacted at 791-6327 or at:

dhench@pressherald.com