129th MAINE LEGISLATURE FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2019

Legislative Document No. 1221 H.P. 881 House of Representatives, March 12, 2019

An Act To Allow Deductions from Prison Sentences for Rehabilitative Activities

Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered printed.

ROBERT B. HUNT Clerk

Presented by Representative TALBOT ROSS of Portland. Cosponsored by Senator CLAXTON of Androscoggin and Representatives: BAILEY of Saco, COOPER of Yarmouth, DeVEAU of Caribou, GRAMLICH of Old Orchard Beach, MORALES of South Portland, RECKITT of South Portland, WARREN of Hallowell, Senator: CARPENTER of Aroostook.

Printed on recycled paper 1 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

2 Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §1253, sub-§15 is enacted to read: 3 15. In addition to any other time deducted from a sentence under this section, for a 4 person who commits a crime and is subsequently sentenced to a term of imprisonment for 5 that crime to a county or state facility, up to 7 days and 12 hours per calendar month may 6 be deducted from that term, calculated from the date of commencement of that term as 7 specified under subsection 1, if that person's satisfactory performance in the completion 8 of an educational program leading to a high school equivalency diploma, completion of 9 another educational or vocational training program or a work release program or work for 10 a county or state facility industry leads directly to the rehabilitation of that person as 11 determined by the sheriff or chief administrative officer of the county or state facility. 12 This subsection applies to the unserved portion of a sentence for a person on probation if 13 the person's probation officer determines that the educational or work program leads 14 directly to the rehabilitation of that person. This subsection does not apply to a person 15 serving a sentence imposed by the State in a facility of another state or the Federal 16 Government or to a person in a county or state facility serving a sentence imposed by 17 another state or the Federal Government.

18 SUMMARY 19 This bill allows, in addition to existing deductions in time from a prison or jail 20 sentence, a deduction in time of up to 7.5 days per calendar month for a person's 21 satisfactory performance, while in custody or on probation, in the completion of an 22 educational program leading to a high school equivalency diploma, completion of another 23 educational or vocational training program or a work release program or work for a 24 county or state facility industry that leads directly to the rehabilitation of that person.

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