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Testimony

Testimony Before Maine’s Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government in Support of Racial Impact Statements

The Sentencing Project's Director of Advocacy Nicole D. Porter submitted expert testimony in support of Maine's LD 2, An Act to Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process. Racial impact statements offer one means by which state officials can begin to engage in a proactive assessment of how to address these challenging issues in a constructive and proactive way.

Related to: Racial Justice, State Advocacy

The Sentencing Project’s Director of Advocacy Nicole D. Porter submitted expert testimony in support of Maine’s LD 2, An Act to Require the Inclusion of Racial Impact Statements in the Legislative Process. Six states – Iowa, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Oregon, and New Jersey – have implemented mechanisms for the preparation and consideration of racial impact statements; in addition, the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission develops racial impact statements without statutory guidance. Racial impact statements offer one means by which state officials can begin to engage in a proactive assessment of how to address these challenging issues in a constructive and proactive way.

Click here to download the full testimony.

About the Author

  • Nicole D. Porter

    Senior Director of Advocacy

    Named a "New Civil Rights Leader" by Essence Magazine for her work to challenge mass incarceration, Nicole D. Porter manages The Sentencing Project’s state and local advocacy efforts on sentencing reform, voting rights, and confronting racial disparities in the criminal legal system.

    Read more about Nicole

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