CRRC Public Comment Invitation

Invitation to Provide Public Comments:

The Criminal Records Review Committee invites members of the public to provide input to help the committee shape its work this fall.  Additional information on the Criminal Records Review Committee (CRRC), its membership, its duties, and the interim report issued by the committee this past January, may be found on the CRRC’s website: https://legislature.maine.gov/criminal-records-review-committee-131st-legislature

 

Subject of public comments:  The committee requests that members of the public focus their comments and suggestions on the committee’s duties listed in Section 5 of Resolve 2023, chapter 103:

1. Review activities in other states that address the expungement, sealing, vacating of and otherwise limiting public access to criminal records;
2. Consider so-called clean slate legislation options;
3. Consider whether the following convictions should be subject to different treatment:

1. Convictions for conduct that has been decriminalized in this State over the last 10 years and conduct that is currently under consideration for decriminalization;
2. Convictions for conduct that is nonviolent or involves the use of marijuana; and
3. Convictions for conduct that was committed by victims and survivors of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking;

4. Consider whether there is a time limit after which some or all criminal records should not be publicly available;
5. Invite comments and suggestions from interested parties, including but not limited to victim advocates and prison and correctional reform organizations;
6. Review existing information about the harms and benefits of making criminal records confidential, including the use and dissemination of those records;
7. Invite comments and suggestions concerning the procedures to limit public accessibility of criminal records;
8. Consider who, if anyone, should continue to have access to criminal records that are not publicly available;
9. Develop options to manage criminal records; and
10. Review and consider criminal records expungement legislation referred to the Joint Standing Committee on Judiciary during the 131st Legislature, including, but not limited to, legislative documents 848, 1550, 1646 and 1789.

Option 1: In-person (oral) public comments. 

• Date / location: The Criminal Records Review Committee will be accepting comments from members of the public either in-person or remotely over Zoom during the CRRC meeting on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 in Room 228 (AFA Committee Room) of the Maine State House. The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. and public comments will be accepted during the morning portion of the meeting.  If you intend to provide your comments remotely over Zoom, please register in advance through the following link: https://legislature-maine-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_t-v5BThnTbylTQoKhmqUGA. 
• Length of spoken comments: The spoken comments of each person will be limited to 5 minutes. If you choose, you may also submit written comments with your spoken comments following the procedure described below.  There is no page limit to the written comments that an individual may submit.
• Written comments accompanying spoken comments: Please remember that any comments submitted for distribution to the committee are a matter of public record and may be posted on the CRRC’s website.  Please avoid including any private or sensitive personal information in your submissions.
• For persons testifying in person: If you wish to provide written comments to accompany your spoken comments, please bring 30 copies of your written materials with you for distribution to CRRC committee members.  A copier is available in the Law Library on the Second Floor of the State House for a fee.
• For persons testifying remotely over Zoom: If you wish to provide written comments to accompany your spoken comments, please send an electronic copy of your written comments to CRRC@legislature.maine.gov by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 7, 2024.  Written comments received after that time will be distributed to committee

 

Option 2: Written public comments: Please remember that any comments submitted for distribution to the committee are a matter of public record and may be posted on this website.  Please avoid including any private or sensitive personal information in your submissions.

• Where to send comments: You may submit your written comments via email to CRRC@legislature.maine.gov.  At each committee meeting, staff will distribute to committee members copies of any public comments received by 5:00 p.m. on the business day prior to the meeting.  Written comments received after that time will be distributed to committee members as soon as possible (but may not be distributed until the meeting is over).
•  Deadline for submission of comments:  Written public comments must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 18, 2024 to ensure that they can be distributed to and considered by the committee before it holds its final meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024.