This bill implements the recommendations of the Commission to Examine Reestablishing Parole regarding the Maine Criminal Justice Sentencing Institute by:
1. Modifying the membership to require that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court invite, as members, representatives of advisory and advocacy groups, including persons with expertise in sentencing reform and restorative justice and experience in substance use disorder counseling;
2. Requiring that the institute meet at least once every 2 years;
3. Requiring that a meeting of the institute be advertised on the publicly accessible website of the judicial branch at least 2 weeks prior to the meeting. The notice must include the time, date and place of the meeting as well as the agenda;
4. Requiring that the meeting be open to the public, with public participation and input allowed;
5. Requiring the Chief Justice to submit a report to the joint standing committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over judiciary matters and over criminal justice and public safety matters detailing, at a minimum, the membership of the institute, the matters discussed at the most recent meeting of the institute and any recommendations of the institute regarding matters considered by the institute. The joint standing committees are authorized to report out legislation based on the report; and
6. Making technical changes to the statute for readability and clarity. This bill also provides for ongoing funding for the institute to allow it to meet biennially.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 1535, HP 990: 4.454