In Maine, it is extremely difficult to seal or erase a criminal record. That means people are being punished long after their sentence ends and they have been released from jail or prison.
A criminal record follows a person for the rest of their life, creating barriers to housing, employment and education -- what people need to lead stable lives and have a second chance.
This bill would reinstate a law that creates a pathway for people convicted of some misdemeanors to seal their criminal records if they meet additional conditions. People deserve a second chance, and LD 1310 would allow at least some people to move beyond the scarlet letter of their past conviction.
