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An Act To Provide Equity in County Jail Maximum Sentences
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17-A MRSA §1203, sub-§1-A, ¶C,  as enacted by PL 1999, c. 788, §4, is amended to read:
 
C.  As to both the suspended and unsuspended portions of the sentence, the place of imprisonment must be as follows.
 
(1) For a Class D or Class E crime the court mustshall specify a county jail as the place of imprisonment.
 
(1-A) For a Class D crime the court shall specify a county jail as the place of imprisonment for all sentences of less than 6 months. For all sentences of 6 months or more the court shall commit the person to the custody of the Department of Corrections.
 
(2) For a Class A, Class B or Class C crime the court mustshall:
 
(a) Specify a county jail as the place of imprisonment for any portion of the sentence that is 9 months or less than 6 months; and
 
(b) Commit the person to the Department of Corrections for any portion of the sentence that is more than 96 months or more.
Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §1252, sub-§1, ¶A,  as enacted by PL 1989, c. 693, §5, is amended to read:
 
A.  For a Class D or Class E crime the court mustshall specify a county jail as the place of imprisonment.
Sec. 3. 17-A MRSA §1252, sub-§1, ¶B,  as enacted by PL 1989, c. 693, §5, is amended to read:
 
B.  For a Class A, Class B or, Class C or Class D crime the court mustshall:
 
(1) SpecifyCommit the person to a county jail as the place of imprisonment if the term of imprisonment is  9 less than 6 months or less; or
 
(2) Commit the person to the Department of Corrections if the term of imprisonment is more than 96 months or more.
 
SUMMARY
This bill changes the maximum county jail sentences from 9 months to less than 6 months. It also changes the maximum imprisonment in a county jail for crimes other than murder from 9 months to less than 6 months.