An Act to Expand the State's Workforce by Supporting the Transition from Incarceration to Employment
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0931
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Sponsors: SAYRE, PRINGLE, MOORE, BOYER, ROEDER, SALISBURY, SARGENT

Legislative Document
No. 931
H.P. 578
House of Representatives, March 2, 2023
An Act to Expand the State's Workforce by Supporting the 
Transition from Incarceration to Employment
Reference to the Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety suggested and ordered 
printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative SAYRE of Kennebunk.
Cosponsored by Representative PRINGLE of Windham, Senator MOORE of Washington and
Representatives: BOYER of Poland, ROEDER of Bangor, SALISBURY of Westbrook, 
SARGENT of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
CONCEPT DRAFT
SUMMARY
This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.
This bill proposes to charge the State Workforce Board with the responsibility of 
preparing a plan to expand the State's current workforce development programming for 
incarcerated persons and persons reentering the community after incarceration in 
consultation with the Department of Corrections and the Department of Labor in calendar 
year 2023. The responsibility for execution of this plan would rest with those departments 
beginning January 1, 2024.
This bill also proposes adopting the specific recommendations of the Jail Navigator 
Focus Group on Transition/Reentry, which include the following.
1.  The Legislature would set standards for all jails to conduct mental health and 
substance use assessments within 48 hours after booking for all residents, both pretrial and 
sentenced, and provide needed substance use disorder treatment. Mental health and 
substance use disorder treatment and recovery services would be offered and supported 
throughout the resident's stay and planned for upon release.
2.  The Legislature would increase support for the Department of Health and Human 
Services to supply all jails with sufficient intensive case manager staffing with case loads 
that reflect best practice ratios of 20 residents to one intensive case manager to prepare and 
support all residents upon release. This support would help reduce the major barriers to 
successful reintegration into the community such as housing, transportation, food security, 
mentorship and health care services. Intensive case managers would continue to support 
the individuals' reentry into the community until the individuals are fully established with 
community-based case managers or providers.
3.  The Legislature would support and fund access at every level of treatment, including 
community-based services, for individuals with mental health challenges and substance use 
disorder, including co-occurring disorders.  The Legislature would also direct the 
Department of Health and Human Services' office of MaineCare services to explore a 
MaineCare supportive housing services benefit.
4.  The Legislature would support and fund access for peer-to-peer mentorship 
programs at each jail in the State.
5.  The Legislature would support funding for intensive case managers, working with 
community partners, to create programs for those leaving incarceration and returning to our 
communities to supply those individuals with items of immediate need such as personal 
hygiene items, fentanyl test strips, naloxone hydrochloride, a cellular telephone with 
limited minutes and recovery and prevention literature, as well as established housing and 
initial appointments for treatment. The provision of these goods and services would be 
tracked for reporting purposes.
6.  The Legislature would direct all jails to track assessments, treatment and reentry 
services provided, preferably with one common management information system, to 
determine which services are needed most often to inform investments with specific 
metrics to be developed.  In addition, this tracking should enable jails and other 
stakeholders to ascertain which reentry services achieve the best outcomes for reducing 
recidivism.
7.  The Legislature would consider how to use the development of the new Certified 
Community Behavioral Health Clinic model of care in this State as a major connector to 
post-release community treatment.