Maine law will prohibit employers from inquiring about criminal history of applicants

“Mainers’ past mistakes should not continue to damage their chances of employment and economic prosperity for the rest of their lives,” James Myall, a policy director at the Maine Center for Economic Policy, said in recent testimony on the bill. “These inquiries create new barriers to opportunity for Mainers who have served their time and are trying to re-enter society in one of the most central ways: by getting a job and earning an income.”

Mydall cited state data showing more than one in six Mainers – 139,000 people between 18 and 64 years old – have been arrested at least once in their life.

“Because Maine does not have an organized process for sealing or expunging criminal histories, records of these arrests follow Mainers for their entire lives,” he said.

Click here to read the full story, first published July 23, 2021, in The Center Square.