He worked to create a ‘normal’ life in Maine’s prisons. Now he’s stepping down.

Maine’s Prison Reforms Under Review as Commissioner Randall Liberty Steps Down

Warren, Maine – On Monday, the governor’s office announced that Randall Liberty will leave his post as Maine’s Department of Corrections commissioner on October 1, 2026, a few days before Gov. Janet Mills departs the governor’s seat. Liberty, 62, has been the face of a sweeping transformation of Maine’s correctional system that has attracted national attention and a new wave of foreign visitors.

The announcement follows a photo taken on September 16 of two men in T‑shirts and shorts walking a paved path inside the grounds of Maine State Prison, the state’s largest correctional facility. The men, each a murder conviction from 1999 and 2009, chat casually as Liberty, in a tan suit, stops to talk to them. The scene—full of flowers, a carrot patch and a lone dog named Fleet Marie—illustrates the day‑to‑day reality of the “Maine Model” of corrections that the commissioner has championed for the past eight years.

A Personal Journey to Reform

Liberty’s commitment to a more humane approach began long before he entered public service. His father served time at the prison when Liberty was a child. In his 2026 memoir, Liberty’s Prison: The Inmate’s Son Who Radically Reformed an American Prison, the former commissioner explains that his father’s experience exposed him to the “six root causes of incarceration”—substance abuse, mental illness, poverty, neglect, educational deficiencies, and trauma. “All of the systems leading up to incarceration have failed them in one way or another,” he says.

After stints in the Army and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office, Liberty carried those lessons into the Department of Corrections, where he first served as warden of Maine State Prison in 2015 and became commissioner in 2019. “People in prison should be treated with respect, life inside should be as normal as possible, and the main goal should be to rehabilitate,” he says. “We’re the stop of last resort to help these people.”

The Maine Model in Action

The core of the Maine Model is a culture of mutual respect. Liberty calls the incarcerated residents “residents” and insists that staff and inmates care about one another’s wellbeing. In practice, the prison now offers a range of programs that resemble a college campus more than a punitive institution: residents in the Earned Living Unit have open kitchens, gyms, showers, and the ability to tend gardens. Those in the unit can grow and pick their own food, and many have earned the right to work remotely in fields from technology to commercial driving.

The model also emphasizes mental‑health and substance‑use treatment. According to a report from the Brennan Center for Justice, Maine has reduced violence among inmates by 36% and staff use of force by 69% between 2017 and 2024. “The results so far are promising,” the report notes. “The culture of mutual respect is a kind of security system in its own right.”

The Department of Corrections also runs a K‑9 training program, beekeeping, and educational courses. Currently, 170 inmates are full‑time college students, 12 are graduate students, and four are Ph.D. candidates. Many more take woodworking, upholstery, welding, culinary, hospitality, and commercial‑driver training.

“Education, employment, stable housing—these are the things that help the recidivism rate drop,” Liberty says. His own remote‑work programs have helped inmates earn money that goes toward restitution, child support, and sometimes even a down‑payment on a house, as one inmate explained.

International Recognition and Ongoing Skepticism

Maine has drawn attention from the world. Last year, Liberty traveled to Istanbul to promote the reforms, and has hosted delegations from Israel, Ireland, Norway and at least 14 other states. The Brennan Center calls Maine “a pioneer” and stresses that the state’s reforms are unique.

Despite the accolades, critics point to gaps that remain. In a survey, 41% of incarcerated men said staff did not treat them with respect—though that is 16 points higher than the average in a five‑state comparison. Women fare worse: only 2% say the prison prepares them for release. The Center also highlights low marks for access to healthcare, grievance procedures, and transitional housing. “I want to see Maine put more money toward transitional housing,” Liberty says.

Foster Bates, a 25‑year life‑sentence inmate and NAACP branch president, says some programs are “restricted to a few dozen people” and that “lock‑ins” make it hard for many to benefit. “Residents here don’t have a problem with the policy. We have an issue with the disconnect of how it’s being implemented,” Bates tells reporters.

State Senator Scott Cyrway, a Republican who once served with Liberty in the sheriff’s office, applauds the culture shift but worries that the focus on rehabilitation may have diverted attention from accountability. “I think it’s time for people behind me to step up,” Liberty says, hinting at the transition to a new commissioner.

The Numbers Behind the Narrative

Data from the Brennan Center provide a mixed picture. Between 2014 and 2022, Maine’s recidivism rate fell 8%, the largest decline in the state’s history. Yet only 10% of male and 2% of female inmates said the facility did a good job preparing them for life after prison. The Center’s report also notes that some of the reduction may be due to changes in how certain conduct is classified—what was once a crime may now be a civil offense.

The report underscores that the transformation is “unfinished” and will require continued investment in healthcare, grievance systems, and post‑release support. “It takes persistence to really move the needle,” says Brennan Center director Ram Subramanian.

What Comes Next for Maine’s Corrections

Liberty’s departure will see a shift in leadership, but the Maine Model is set to continue. He will remain active as a consultant with Amend, a prison‑reform program at the University of California, San Francisco. In that capacity, he will lead tours for visitors from other states and countries, and focus on improving access to education, remote work and internet connectivity for inmates.

In a statement to the press, Liberty said, “In the last eight years, I’ve been hiring people that are like minded, believe in redemption, and are forward‑thinking. It’s time for people behind me to step up.” He added, “I’m excited to continue to work three days a week for Amend. I’ll still be touring Maine’s prisons, but I won’t be the one calling the shots.”

Looking Ahead

The Maine Department of Corrections’ reforms have already been cited by national policymakers, and the state’s approach continues to attract attention from foreign governments. Yet the story remains incomplete. With a new commissioner, the state will need to sustain the gains in reduced violence, staff use of force, and recidivism while addressing persistent gaps in health, grievance procedures, and transitional services.

As the state prepares to transition, Maine’s residents and inmates alike watch to see whether the culture of mutual respect will endure and whether the promise of a more humane, rehabilitation‑focused prison system will translate into real, lasting change for those who have crossed the line