AUGUSTA, Maine — When it comes to an opportunity for parole, Maine is among the minority nationwide. According to the Prison Policy Initiative, 16 states currently do not have parole, including Maine, which abolished parole in 1976.
While there are some other avenues for those incarcerated to get out earlier than anticipated, advocates for parole have been pushing for change for years.
Last spring, the 130th Legislature established the Commission To Examine Reestablishing Parole in Maine. The group was made up of 13 members who came together over the fall five times to discuss this issue and present findings and recommendations to the 131st Legislature. That report came out on Jan. 31.
The key findings indicated:
- There are disparities in the racial demographics between people incarcerated in Maine and the general population of the state.
- Violent crime is a public health issue and can be cyclical in nature.
- The success of programs to address disparities in the criminal justice system depends on adequate resources for offenders, victims, and communities to support people in rehabilitation, and restorative justice, and to avoid interactions with the criminal justice system overall.
- The success of these programs also requires the Legislature to carefully consider reforms to other components of the criminal justice system.
The key recommendations included:
- Creating new mechanisms and enhancing already-existing mechanisms in Maine law to open pathways for the early release of prison residents who no longer pose a threat to public safety.
- Providing baseline funding for the Maine Criminal Justice Sentencing Institute.
- Reestablishing parole in Maine.
- Making sure any proposal to reestablish parole in Maine includes clear guidelines for eligibility, process transparency, and more support for victims.
- Establishing a new Criminal Law Review Commission.
"I think at the end of the day, we’re also examining what accountability looks like," Joseph Jackson, the executive director of the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, said.
Jackson said he believes reestablishing parole in Maine would also be beneficial to the community.
"[It's] supporting our community because [prison residents] are going to be out here paying taxes, working, and providing for their family, which will no longer be a burden for the state to do," Jackson said.
Rep. Scott Cyrway, R-Albion, was one of two people on the commission who is opposed to reestablishing parole in Maine. The other is Commissioner Randall Liberty with the Maine Department of Corrections.
"I think when you have the commissioner of corrections saying that parole wouldn’t be a good idea, people should listen," Cyrway said.
Cyrway said one of his primary concerns is a lack of resources to adequately handle parole in Maine. He said there are also already opportunities for people who are incarcerated in Maine to get out early by earning good time, going through deferred disposition, or applying for the Supervised Community Cofinement Program.
"We really should be looking at the victims and helping them get through what they’ve experienced," Cyrway said.
Jackson said sponsors on both sides of the aisle are working on a bill to reestablish parole to send to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety.