Everybody deserves the proper to rehabilitation, therapeutic, and full participation in society. This legislative session, our elected officers will vote on L.D. 178: An Act to Assist Re-entry and Reintegration into the Group, which might restore parole in Maine after 47 years.
Parole was abolished in 1976 because of Richard Nixon’s federal “powerful on crime” insurance policies, most importantly the Conflict on Medication, and within the period of mass incarceration that adopted, Maine’s jail inhabitants rose 163% between 1983 and 2015, in keeping with the Vera Institute.
With among the harshest sentencing practices within the nation, Maine at present has no clear pathway to reentry, and parole affords a structured, supportive and restorative various to incarceration, wherein folks would end out their sentences of their communities and with their households. Parole encourages development and transformation, with the chance to work, mum or dad and thrive underneath supervision.
Parole would additionally profit Maine’s economic system immensely. In accordance with Parole4ME, it prices Maine taxpayers $76,000 a 12 months to incarcerate one individual. Even providing parole to simply 10% of Maine’s incarcerated inhabitants would save taxpayers $13 million, redirecting funds to a devoted parole board and to restorative justice practices that defend and help victims, like victim-offender dialogue. The Prison Justice and Public Security Committee is holding a public listening to on L.D. 178 at 10 a.m. Monday in Room 436 of the State Home. Please encourage our legislators to help this invoice.
Everybody deserves a second probability and the chance for redemption.
Skye Donovan Adams
Portland
« Earlier
Associated Tales
Invalid username/password.
Please examine your e-mail to substantiate and full your registration.
Use the shape beneath to reset your password. Whenever you’ve submitted your account e-mail, we are going to ship an e-mail with a reset code.