Maine still needs parole
“Most testimony presented by criminal justice professionals, victim advocates, and victims feels that parole should be re-established in Maine.” — Dr. Arthur Jones, renowned criminal justice and parole expert
The Maine Legislature’s last session was painful. It was the first time in my life that I engaged in political processes in any meaningful way. At 32 years of age, I poured my heart, mind and soul into the push to reestablish parole in Maine. I learned from those who came before me, partnered with incredible changemakers in Maine and beyond, and devoted myself to the daily grind of encouraging myself and others to hold on to the hope that meaningful change is possible in the criminal punishment system.
Then, after co-founding Parole-4-Maine and collaboratively leading efforts to educate the public and lawmakers about all the benefits of a restorative, earned parole system, we lost. Over 100 people delivered live testimony in support of the parole bill, and over 300 people made time to submit written testimony in support, including courageous victims and survivors of interpersonal harm.
The people of Maine spoke. Concerned citizens Zoomed in from across the country. YouGov Blue conducted polling of Maine voters in 2023 that revealed the following:
- 83 percent support parole when informed that it costs $78,000 per year to incarcerate someone and parole is nine times less expensive than incarceration.
- 78 percent support parole when informed of studies that show people granted parole are 36 percent less likely to return to prison compared to those who maxed out their sentence and were released with zero supervision.
- Over three-quarters of respondents would prefer allowing parole-approved people to complete their sentence at home or in a rehabilitation facility with law enforcement check-ins and a job.
- By a 28-point margin, Maine voters believe too many people serve long prison sentences and we should be doing more to get incarcerated people into rehabilitation and job training.
Parole had the popular vote.
Over the span of five months in 2022, a former state lawmaker, Jeff Evangelos, led a 13-member Commission to Examine Re-establishing Parole. In its final report, the commission recommended parole be reinstated. Dozens of experts and advocates, including victim/survivor advocates, presented copious evidence explaining the many benefits of parole inside and outside prison walls.
The concerned citizens of Parole-4-Maine were there for every minute of every commission meeting. We listened deeply to every presentation and every concern raised along the way. The bill that resulted, LD 178, honored the voices of advocates from every stakeholder community: victim/survivor support organizations, prison reformers, law enforcement, Department of Corrections staff, prosecutors, criminal-defense lawyers and others.
Parole-4-Maine then began reaching out to those stakeholders to discuss the proposed bill. Some ignored or rejected our outreach efforts, but Parole-4-Maine members were able to engage in meaningful dialogue with many others. Before LD 178 was formally submitted for consideration, the bill’s original language had evolved four times in order to carefully incorporate as many stakeholder concerns as practicable.
The parole bill Maine lawmakers will consider in the current legislative session is the fifth iteration of the commission’s work. Special care has been taken to make the parole process considerate and sensitive to the needs of victims/survivors. Among other supports, the bill requires that victims be notified and updated throughout the parole process in a caring and trauma-informed way; it mandates that Maine’s Department of Victim Services ensures victims know their full rights and options throughout the process; and it includes safeguards to ensure neither party contacts the other, if that’s the victim’s wish.
This session’s parole bill is designed to improve public safety, boost Maine’s economy, and incentivize rehabilitation and supportive reentry.
Rather than allowing people to max out their full sentences and get released with little or no oversight, this bill mandates Department of Corrections supervision, and people who do not demonstrate proof of rehabilitation will not be granted parole.
Two years ago, Maine economists estimated that the release of 100 people on parole would generate $14.7 million in new economic activity in our state. The annual savings on the cost of incarcerating those hundred people was determined to be $13.3 million. Combined, the economists estimated parole would constitute a $28 million boost to Maine’s private sector, simultaneously saving millions of tax dollars while generating millions more in taxes, profits and productivity.
The process of preparing for parole promotes engagement in programming, professional development and reentry. This makes communities safer and leads to fewer people, including families and children of incarcerated Mainers, being damaged by the long-term effects of imprisonment.
I almost allowed discouragement and fear to prevent me from speaking out in support of parole this year. Then I realized I must not silence or suppress my voice in the face of opposition. Please join me in calling for the reestablishment of parole in Maine. Reach out to your State Representative and Senator this month and let them know you care about all Mainers, that you believe in hope and redemption, and that you want them to Bring Back Parole!
Leo Hylton is a PhD student at George Mason University’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, currently incarcerated at Maine State Prison. His education and work are focused on Social Justice Advocacy and Activism, with a vision toward an abolitionist future. You can reach him at: Leo Hylton #70199, 807 Cushing Rd., Warren, ME 04864, or leo.hylton@mdoc.education.
