LD 1585 would create a statewide ban on public officials and public employees' use of facial recognition technolgy, with limited exceptions.
To undo systemic racism, lawmakers need to know whether a bill may create racial disparities before it becomes law. Racial impact statements are a tool to help legislators do this.
Children should not be in prison – it is a failed system that harms young people and wastes the state’s resources. LD 320 would ensure fewer children are incarcerated, shorter periods of incarceration for those who are imprisoned, and access to an attorney throughout a child's juvenile court case.
The bail system is supposed to ensure people most people can be free awaiting trial. But it’s not working: today, the majority of people in Maine jails haven’t been convicted of a crime.
This bill would make possession of small amounts of certain drugs a civil, rather than criminal, violation. When a person has a criminal record because of minor drug crimes, it creates serious barriers to housing, employment and other basic necessities.