AUGUSTA — A Maine lawmaker has introduced a measure that would allow victims of human trafficking to have their prostitution convictions vacated.
Republican Rep. Amy Volk of Scarborough is the bill’s sponsor. She says Maine would join 14 other states that have the law.
The bill is designed to ensure women who become victims of human trafficking aren’t penalized.
Volk says in a statement that the state “should be helping them rebuild their lives, not punishing them for actions beyond their control.”
Republican Gov. Paul LePage signed a measure earlier this year that expands the definition of human trafficking to include more crimes that involve the victimization of someone for profit. It also renames the promotion of prostitution to “sex trafficking.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.