The ACLU of Maine filed a petition for post-conviction review on behalf of Joseph Denbow. The petition challenges Mr. Denbow's prison sentence which, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, risks becoming a death sentence. At 54, Mr. Denbow suffers from chronic disease that places him at high risk of death or serious injury if and when he is exposed to the COVID-19 virus in the closed setting of prison. The petition asks that the Court declare Mr. Denbow's sentence to be unconstitutionally disproportionate to his nonviolent offenses and to order his release on probation to safely quarantine in the community.
