Brandon Brown, the first person in Maine to graduate college while in prison, is asking to end his probation early. Even though he’s living in Gilead now, he had to go to court in Cumberland County on Friday to request an early release from his four-year probation. However, the judge needs more time to decide.
Brown was in prison for 12 years due to an attempted murder conviction in 2008. He shot and partially paralyzed a man during an altercation outside a Portland bar. He left prison early because of his good behavior, which his lawyers believe is remarkable.
During his time in prison, Brown focused on education and helping others. He earned advanced degrees, becoming the first Mainer in prison to achieve this. Currently, he’s working on his Ph.D. at George Mason University. Brown also volunteered, held multiple jobs mentoring students and incarcerated individuals nationwide, and advocated for prison reform in Maine.
In 2021, retired state Rep. Jeffrey Evangelos shared a letter from Brown’s victim supporting commuting the rest of his sentence. Stephen Schwartz, Brown’s co-counsel, argued that Brown deserved a shorter probation due to his significant personal growth and positive impact on others.
Assistant District Attorney Meg Elam disagreed, stating that Brown, despite rehabilitation, hadn’t served enough time for the severity of his crime. She pointed out that three months of probation were not sufficient for the originally sentenced four years.
The judge, needing more time to make a decision, didn’t provide an expected end date for the review of additional documents. Brown will have to wait a little longer to see if he can be released from probation early.
