York County Jail Capt. David Lambert retires after 40 years
- Tammy L Wells
- May 7
- 4 min read
“There’s more to this job than just locking them up.”
National Correctional Officer's Week is May 4–10, 2025. This week, we proudly recognize David Lambert as a stellar example of the unwavering service and dedication of the men and women working in corrections. Captain Lambert, you will be missed.
ALFRED, Maine – It was the job he took to “tide him over” until something better came along. That was his thought process when David Lambert became a corrections officer at York County Jail – except it didn’t pan out that way.
Lambert, who retired on Friday, April 25, found that “better” was right there, at the jail, where for 40 years, three months, and 10 days he worked to help make a positive difference in the lives of those who find themselves locked up.
His colleagues and friends gathered at the jail that day, celebrating his work, and his well-earned retirement where he intends to do more motorcycling with his wife Judy, go bass fishing in his new boat, and continue his hobby of go-kart racing.
Lambert, of Saco, started as a corrections officer on the floor, and over the years, rose through the ranks to captain. In all, he has worked under the direction of 5 sheriffs, 9 chief deputies, 7 jail administrators, 9 captains, 7 lieutenants, and countless sergeants, corporals and corrections staff.
He talked about how he got started at the jail, and why he stayed.
“You can’t lock them up and forget them,” Lambert said of jail inmates. “Communicate with them, try to steer them in the right direction. A lot of inmates don’t have stability; you have to show stability. There’s more to this job than just locking them up.”
Lambert was working for a shoe manufacturing company in Saco in the fall of 1984 when management informed workers they’d be moving the plant to Malaysia the following spring. He decided to leave and look for a new job right away before the closure. His friends Brian Maddox and the late Raymond “Tank” Moreau, both corrections officers, told him about openings at the jail – at the time on Route 4, Jordan Springs Road – in Alfred. He told them he had no interest, but as time passed he wasn’t having much luck finding work, so eventually, he applied, thinking if he got the job, it would be temporary.
On Jan 15, 1985, Lambert reported for the 3 to 11 shift and Sgt. George Hills assigned Maddox as his field training officer for the next eight hours. When he reported to work the next day, Hills asked Maddox how the new recruit had done the previous night, and was told he was doing well, and there were no issues.
“Good. Here’s a set of keys and a radio. The back of the jail is yours, Lambert, and good luck,” Lambert recalled Hills telling him. A year later, he was sent to the Maine Criminal Justice Academy for a two week training program. Today, of course, it’s different – initial training is 10 weeks in all, including six weeks at the academy.
Lambert said he found a sense of purpose and belonging working at the jail. He was heavily involved in providing educational and rehabilitation programs to inmates throughout his career, looking to help set them on a better path, prepare them for life upon their release – trying to make a difference in their lives.
And it made a difference in his own, he said. “I was contributing to the community, and upholding the law,” he said. “It gave me a deep sense of purpose, duty and pride.”
Lambert said he enjoyed the work and believes others would too.
“I think Dave’s success stems from his genuine kindness and his non-judgmental attitude,” said York County Sheriff William L. King. “Inmates are here for a reason, and he approaches each one as a human being who at one time or another, made a poor choice that got him or her locked up. David commands respect from his colleagues, and equally important, from the inmates.”
There were many other aspects to his job over the years, including classifying inmates when they arrived at the jail to determine which unit to assign them, calculating various factors that determine when an inmate would be released, and supervising staff.
King noted Lambert also undertook many other tasks at the jail – and has been his “go to guy” for the 17 years since King arrived at the sheriff’s office.
“He will do whatever it takes to complete the mission,” said King, noting Lambert would pick up prescription medications, transport prisoners to other locations across the state when necessary, “balance the budget, review policy, and ensure our billing for inmate boarding is complete – he has literally done every job at the sheriff’s office.”
Lambert’s long tenure in his career is four times the national statistic for people his age – he’s 62. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median employee tenure of workers in all professions aged 55-64 is 9.6 years – more than three times the 2.7 years of workers aged 25-34. Also, a larger proportion of older workers had 10 years tenure or more. As of January 2024, among workers aged 60-64, 52 percent had been employed for at least 10 years with the same employer, compared with 21 percent of those aged 35-39.
Former jail administrator Nathan Thayer, now Maine State Prison Warden, said when he arrived to work at the jail in 2021, he looked for someone he could trust and Lambert, whom he said was well respected at the jail, fit the bill.
York County Jail Administrator Lori Marks spoke of Lambert’s vision, knowledge, wisdom and mentorship, which she said was instrumental in the progress of her own career.
Lambert called his retirement bittersweet.
“I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t miss it,” he said. “It’s been my life.”
