AN A320 PRIOR TO DEP FO DISCOVERED #1 BRAKE NOT LISTED ON MAINT RELEASE BUT #1 BRAKE STILL DEACTIVATED.

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ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH #1 BRAKE WEAR INDICATOR PINS (BOTH) BELOW FLUSH-MRD. IN FACT #1 BRAKE HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED AS DISCOVERED BY CAPT ON WALK AROUND. ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO ORD IF THE FLT CREW HAD NOT BROUGHT THIS TO ZZZ LINE MAINTENANCE'S ATTENTION. MEL REQUIREMENTS IF NOT MET WOULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS SAFETY PROBS AND LEGALITIES. FLT OFFICE NOTIFIED. CHECK WITH CAPT Y OR CAPT Z AS A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN CONDUCTED. PAPERWORK CORRECTED PRIOR TO DEP TO ORD BUT I WILL NEVER TAKE AN ACFT WITH A DEACTIVATED BRAKE AS CTL PROBS WERE EXPERIENCED ON LNDG AT ORD IN IDEAL CONDITIONS. AN ABORT WITH THE WORST OR BEST ENG OR WX COMBO WOULD BE BEYOND MINE AND PROBABLY MOST ACR LINE PLTS SKILL LEVELS. I DON'T THINK THE RISK COMES ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE BENEFIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FO WHEN REVIEWING THE NEW MAINT RELEASE DISCOVERED AN INBND DEFERRED ITEM ON #1 BRAKE AS BEING CLRED. THE RPTR SAID THE FO HAD NOTED ON THE WALK AROUND CHECK THE BRAKE LINES WERE TIED BACK AND NOT CONNECTED TO THE BRAKE. THE RPTR STATED BOTH FLT CREW MEMBERS LEFT THE COCKPIT TO INSPECT THE BRAKE AND INDEED IT WAS STILL DEACTIVATED BUT NOT LISTED ON THE MAINT RELEASE. THE RPTR SAID MAINT WAS ADVISED OF THE AIRPLANE STATUS AND A NEW MAINT RELEASE WAS ISSUED WITH THE ACTUAL CONDITION OF THE AIRPLANE. THE RPTR STATED AN INVESTIGATION WAS INITIATED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF MAINT TO REPLACE THE BRAKE AND TO ISSUE THE MAINT RELEASE SHOWING THE BRAKE AS REPLACED. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT SITUATION AT THE STATION HAS BEEN CHAOTIC WITH LAYOFFS; BUMPING; AND NEW PEOPLE TRANSFERRED IN FROM OTHER CLOSED STATIONS. THE RPTR STATED IT APPEARS NO ONE REALLY SHOWS ANY SKILL LEVEL AND KNOWS THE JOB ANYMORE.