Justice system reform is paying off in Cumberland County | Jacqueline Sartoris
Sartoris Seeks Second Term as Cumberland County District Attorney
Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris is positioning herself for a second term by highlighting her criminal justice reforms and initiatives launched during her first year in office.
In a statement coinciding with the election season, Sartoris, the first Democrat to hold the position in over three decades, outlined the progress made under her leadership.
"Voters chose change that was pragmatic, measurable and modern when they elected me in 2022," Sartoris wrote. "That change began when I arrived, when I restored accountability for street crimes."
According to the statement, Sartoris significantly increased charges in two key areas. Drug possession cases rose by 285% from 116 to 331, while criminal trespass incidents increased by 137%, growing from 107 to 254 cases. The DA noted that county numbers continue to rise from pandemic-era lows.
However, Sartoris emphasizes these increases stem from a focus on rehabilitation rather than incarceration. She built partnerships and programs aimed at redirecting individuals away from what she calls a "decades-old revolving door between the jail and the streets."
"The goal," Sartoris states, "is so that our power as prosecutors moves people toward recovery and rehabilitation."
Early indicators of success, she claims, include shrinking encampments, over 400 people housed in recent years, and declining repeat offending rates. A specific partnership with the Portland Recovery Community Center is credited with helping individuals struggling with addiction choose recovery pathways.
Despite these efforts, Sartoris identifies ongoing challenges. She points to over 100 persistently homeless individuals in Portland who remain difficult to engage with services, impacting local communities and businesses. As someone whose family is affected by substance use disorder, she emphasizes the critical need for improved recovery programs.
A primary focus for Sartoris has been addressing systemic gaps in treatment. She highlights that Maine's 30-year-old Treatment Court is understaffed and limited in scope, unable to handle minor cases. She contrasts this with programs available in other counties and options outside of jail settings that she argues are lacking locally.
Sartoris describes building support for a new residence for people on bail, where treatment would be a condition of release. Separately, she claims to be the first DA in Maine to use civil law to request medication for chronically psychotic individuals, though she argues existing laws are insufficient without adequate community-based facilities. She has proposed changes to mental health laws for legislative consideration.
In a different crime area, Sartoris states she has overhauled the prosecution of sex assault crimes. She secured a $2.5 million federal grant aimed at clearing the backlog of untested sexual assault kits, a resource available for over a decade that she is reportedly the first in Maine DA's office to obtain. The grant also funds the prosecution of resolved cases. She estimates up to 2,000 kits collected over decades may have been discarded. Her deputy, Christopher Coleman, is noted for his experience to lead a new division focused on these cases.
Sartoris frames the election as a choice between modernizing the justice system or returning to past practices. She acknowledges resistance to reform but points to support from over 30 local leaders across various sectors, including the Speaker of the House and a former Maine CDC Director, who she says believe she deserves a second term.
"We were ready for change. We are seeing results. And I believe we want to continue to move forward," Sartoris concludes in her statement.
