Whitney Parrish

In 2018, drug trafficking arrests made up over half (51%) of all Class A arrests and over 1/4 of Class B arrests (26%) #mepolitics

Total arrests for drug offenses in #Maine rose slightly between 2008 and 2018, but Class A drug arrests more than DOUBLED during this period #mepolitics

Drug arrests of women increased 25% (for both felony and misdemeanor) between 2008 and 2018, with arrests for Class A offenses more than TRIPLING during this period. #mepolitics

Drug and property offenses accounted for slightly more than HALF of women's felony arrests in 2018. Maine's prison population increased between 2014 and 2019, with a steady and substantial increase in the female pop. (51% increase in average daily population) #mepolitics

Racial disproportionality is more pronounced in drug arrests than in total arrests. Black people account for 21% of Class A drug arrests and 15% of Class B drug arrests. Black folks make up approx. 1.2% of Maine's pop., but 11% of the prison population #mepolitics

In FY2019, nearly HALF of sentences for felony drug offenses in Maine resulted in a sentence to prison #mepolitics

Between FY2016 and FY2019, 23% of Class B sentences to prison were for nine months and one day to one year; 41% were for one to two years. About 1/3 of prison release events in 2018 involve people who served less than 9 mo and a day #mepolitics

Maine's prison admissions are impacted by probation revocations, which account for more than 40% of all admissions. 32% of new crime admissions were for drug offenses, including 56% of female new crime admissions #mepolitics

26% of all prison admissions in Maine in 2017 were for new crimes committed on probation. 18% of all prison admissions were for technical violations of probation conditions #mepolitics

So what does this all mean? Current drug policy unjustly targets women, Black and other People of Color with harsher consequences and sentences, which increases racial and gender disparities among low-income communities. #mepolitics

Maine’s current drug policies cause harm without improving the health and safety of our communities. Incarcerating a parent or loved one incarcerates their whole family. The acute, secondary, and generational trauma can cause irreparable damage #mepolitics