An Act To Restore Sentencing Discretion To The Judiciary By Removing Mandatory Minimum Sentences Of Incarceration

LD 268 removes mandatory minimum prison sentences for all criminal cases in Maine, effective January 1, 2026. It requires judges to exercise discretion in sentencing, allowing them to impose sentences below previously fixed minimum terms. The bill directs the Criminal Law Advisory Commission to identify all mandatory sentencing provisions in Maine law by December 3, 2025, and propose changes to convert them into maximum terms. This affects all defendants convicted of crimes under Maine law and shifts sentencing authority from rigid statutes to judicial judgment.