I was shocked to learn that Gov. Mills vetoed L.D. 847, because, as I followed the path of the legislation, it faced little to no opposition and was supported by an overwhelming majority of the Legislature.

In my work with the Restorative Justice Institute of Maine, I manage a diversion program for young adults who have committed low-level offenses. L.D. 847 provides that, for first-time, low-level crimes, young adults are either issued a warning or required to participate in a relevant diversionary program or activity.

In Maine, according to the Judicial Branch, 18- to 25-year-olds make up just 8 percent of the population and yet are charged with 25 percent of all crimes; 49 percent of the crimes they are charged with are at the lowest level. To prevent these young people from reoffending and having criminal records for the rest of their lives, adolescent development experts agree, consistent with research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, that diverting them at the earliest intervention possible before incurring a charge is the best evidence-based strategy.

Maine needs its young people, more so than any other state in the country. With the oldest population per capita, our state cannot afford to be sinking so much time and money into apparatus that irrevocably penalize young adults for the lowest-level offenses.

The majority of the 18- to 25-year-olds who come through our diversion program have incurred traffic-related offenses. They need support and guidance, not life-altering sentences. Don’t the youth of Maine deserve better? Doesn’t the future of Maine deserve better?

Jeremy Mack
Portland