Sen. Talbot Ross appointed to commission to examine parole
AUGUSTA – Last month, Sen. Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, was appointed to the newly-created “Commission to Examine the Intersection of Parole and Current Sentencing Practices” by Senate President Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick.
The Commission will study how parole currently functions in other states, its potential relationship with probation and community confinement programs, the implications of reintroducing parole and how to ensure consistency between court sentencing decisions and parole board decisions. The Commission must submit a report with findings and legislative recommendations to the relevant legislative committee by November 4, 2026, for potential consideration by the 133rd Legislature in 2027.
“In 1976, Maine was the first state to abolish parole, and the result was that sentencings increased by 20 percent — making Maine one of the most punitive states for those convicted of crimes,” said Sen. Talbot Ross. “I have worked with inmates across all of Maine’s prisons, and I have heard horror stories of people who have pleaded guilty of crimes they did not commit just so they could get out of jail faster. I have met plenty of rehabilitated inmates that will go on to serve the sentence they received when they were a different person. People can change and so can inmates, which is why we must carefully consider reintroducing a parole system in Maine. I am excited to get started on this work and I want to thank Rep. Nina Milliken for sponsoring LD 1941, which created this commission.”
LD 1941, “Resolve, Establishing the Commission to Examine the Intersection of Parole and Current Sentencing Practices,” was passed in April of this year by the Legislature and become law without the Governor’s signature. The Commission will have 16 members and will include legislators, the Attorney General, a district attorney, the Commissioner of Corrections and various advocates and experts.
Interested parties can sign up for notifications about meeting dates and additional information on the Commission here.
Sen. Talbot Ross is serving her first term in the Maine Senate, and is the Senate chair of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee and is a member of the Judiciary Committee.
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