Director’s Update: June 2023
Operations
May operations were on track.
MPAC staff size of 11 individuals remains unchanged. Joseph Jackson, Jan Collins, Peter Lehman, Joelle Jackson, Daniel Fortune, Brandon Brown, Wendy Allen, Andre Hicks, Antonio Jackson, Linda Dolloff and Kathy Elliot,.
MPAC has 6 volunteer Coordinators leading projects. Doug Dunbar, Jon Courtney, Jamie Peloquin & Leslie Manning. Whitney Parrish, and Cheryl Mills,
MPAC - Recognition and special appreciation to Adriane Herman, Olivia Hochstadt, Lani Graham, Isabelle H., Marion Anderson, Daria Cullen: Janet Drew for their volunteer work and commitment to the cause.
Our Mission is to support and advocate for Maine’s incarcerated citizens, their families and friends.
Our Purpose is to reduce Maine’s use of incarceration by advocating for a legal system that is ethical, humane and restorative.
Our Vision is of a justice system that is restorative. It supports humanity in every person, and reflects and creates transformation and accountability.
MPAC Staff and Volunteer Coordinators meet as regularly as a full team to update on our projects and programming. We resolve tensions and barriers that arise in the work.
MPAC staff members are in regular communications with incarcerated residents and formerly incarcerated individuals via written correspondence, phone, text, and email.
MPAC staff meet regularly in-person with incarcerated residents at MSP, Bolduc, MCC, SMWRC.
MPAC has created new roles and accountabilities to support the work.
MPAC Development Structure - meets regularly to collaborate on grants and other fundraising activities.
MPAC Administrative Assistant Joelle Jackson picks up the mail, responds and directs incoming correspondence to staff. Responds to donors. Support grant writing,
MPAC- ways of working committee evaluating job descriptions of all staff. Staff and board have MPAC emails.
On-going: Advocacy, correspondence, and Direct Dialogue.
MPAC Strategy Meeting is held the second Saturday of each month. The meeting has moved to a hybrid in-person/ virtual session. We have been meeting in-person at the Maine Inside Out office at 168 Lisbon Street Lewiston Maine. Linda Dolloff and Antonio Jackson facilitated May's meeting.
MPAC -Jan continues to lead the Legislative Strategy Meeting every Tuesday at 6pm. Weekly meetings are held to discuss legislative strategy.
MPAC - Jan leads a weekly meeting to increase arts programming in Maine’s prisons.
MPAC - is a member of a Coalition table and meets Thursday mornings with other organizations that share our value of transforming our legal system.
MPAC - Jan leads monthly Rapid Response Team meeting.
MPAC - continues to meet regularly with the Maine Department of Corrections. Our dialogue embodies aspects of policy and practice reviews and other barriers and issues raised by incarcerated individuals, their families or our partners!
MPAC - Our work with incarcerated individuals at MSP and MCC on legislative Advocacy and strategy has expanded and involves in-depth planning and action meetings.
MCC Longtimers - Meet with MPAC the first Monday of each month. Cheryl and Leslie facilitate monthly meetings with the women.
MCC Longtimers - Small turnout, a lot of women working. Resident confusion around sentences, complaints to Classification unresponsive. Access to health-care continues to be an ongoing issue.
MCC Reentry Center - MDOC plans to create an Earned Living Unit at the reentry center. Concern remains over equity between women and men.
MCC Reentry Center - MPAC Coordinator Wendy Allen, Linda Dolloff, and Brandon Brown are approved to go into the Reentry facility.
MPAC - relations with MDOC continues to be strong. Favorable outcomes on many requests.
Penobscot county jail - jail-competing news stories in BDN, county commissioners spending county money on media consultants to generate public support for a new jail. The group is considering public outreach and naming this is a misappropriation of public funds.
Longcreek - MDOC requires 4 day training, Andre completed the training. MPAC Coordinators are meeting with youth individually and in groups. We have daily contact with every youth in the facility. Our Coordinators are working with 13 youth that have transferred to the community to support reentry transition. MPAC is partnering with other orgs to connect youth to community resources.
MSP - MPAC Coordinator and incarcerated individuals have met with the regional heads of Wellpath on May 28th. Attendees felt the dialog was constructive.
Projects
MPAC - 5 formerly incarcerated individuals in reentry received mutual aid this month.
MPAC - Book Project. Jon Courtney leading! 600 books requested by the reentry center. A couple of County jails have expressed interest.
MSP-NAACP - submitting a plan for increased good time and earned time that is specific to the accomplishment.
Space Gallery Panel Discussion- Linda presiding! Discussion was about system-impacted women and abolition. The event was sponsored by PPL and Family Planning. Topics covered reproductive issues for incarcerated women. Mothering from prison, reconnecting with children.
MSP - MPAC is partnering with the Maine Humanities Council to hold art workshops.
MSP - Gallery Exhibit Project - There are three exhibits planned
Watts Hall in Thomaston. Opening Night July 21 2023.
University of Maine Farmington, Emery Arts. Opening Reception: Thursday, October 5th, 5-7pm.
L/A Arts Gallery, Lisbon St, Lewiston. Opening tbd!
MDOC- Art based film series also approved. Film series tentatively scheduled 2 Mondays a month.
Pros and Cons - celebration of life for a member lost to substance use disorder.
MCC Reentry Center - Juneteenth celebration on the 23, Leslie and Linda going.will be for both women’s facilities.
Charles Jordan House - Approved for a grant from Maine Housing Authority. MPAC to establish reentry housing in Auburn Maine. MPAC is partnering with Auburn Housing.
Freedom And Captivity - Third section started May 17th. Joseph, Brandon, Brian and Ali facilitating the 13 week course on Wednesday nights.
Juneteenth - MPAC is collaborating with MIO in the planning for an event in Kennedy park on June 16. A mock solitary confinement cell, created by Olivia Hochstadt, through a grant from Unlock the Box will be on site.
Justice Radio - project is going well. Linda is doing an amazing job. Justice Radio is now on two stations. WMPG 90.9 1pm Sundays and WERU 89.9 5pm Thursday
Links to podcasts: https://www.wmpg.org/podcasts/justice-radio/
Facebook Justice Radio
Instagram Justice Radio
2023 Sustainer Learning Circle - MPAC joined the cohort this year! MPAC ED, and Board member Craig Williams are attending meetings. Maine Health Access Foundation to cover MPAC's participation.
Communications
MPAC's brochures. MPAC Brochure
MPAC - planning a quarterly newsletter. Template created, worked on content aspect. Still need to come up with a name. Building something in Canva? Take advantage of Jan's suggestion of using the Google group
Public outreach
Black Voices Advocacy Day - Antonio Jackson attended!
Freewill Project - Joseph attended and presented
Maya Williams - Book release, Joseph attended and presented
Hope Conference - Antonio Jackson attended.
Catholic Charities Jail and Prison Ministry conference June 9th- Jan presented on legislative priorities.
Legislative
MPAC- Testified in favor of the parole bill.
MPAC - Testified in favor of bill calling for transition services.
MPAC- joined Health and Human Services in support of the harm reduction health center bill.
MPAC - testified in support of closing the gap with Mainecare for incarcerated individuals in county jails.
MPAC - Testified in support of the Long Creek bill.
MPAC - supported an Act to Establish Alternative Sentencing for Primary Caregivers"
MPAC- supported a bill to define Solitary Confinement.
MPAC- supports a "An Act to Provide Safe, Short-term Housing to Individuals Recently Released from Correctional Facilities".
MPAC - submitted testimony supporting the housing first bill.
MPAC - testified in support to pay minimum wage bill for license plate production for incarcerated individuals.
MPAC- testified in support to Establish Alternative Sentencing for Primary Caregivers"
MPAC - testified in support of the bill to Release the elderly, dying, and incapacitated in Maine's prisons!
MPAC - supporting the bill to Establish the Commission to Recommend Cost-effective, Safe, Administrable and Healthful Programs to Reduce Violence in Prisons and Jails.
MPAC - testified in support of An Act to Establish a Pilot Project Regarding Harm Reduction Health Centers
MPAC - testified on LD 1626 An Act to Standardize Requirements Between Boards of Visitors for County Jails and Department of Corrections Correctional Facilities
MPAC - testified in opposition to a bill encouraging every school to have School Resource Officers
MPAC- signed a letter in opposition disrespecting and stifling student learning
MPAC- signed a letter of support automatic sealing of juvenile records.
Strategic Partnerships
Ongoing - MaineTransnet, GLADD, Portland Outright, MIO, MYJ, Maine Law School, Disability Rights, Maine Equal Justice, ACLU, Muskie, Recovery Connections, Recovery Housing, REST Center, Roses Room, Bates College, JJAG, Women’s League of Voters, MPRN, MPDA, MSP-NAACP, Colby College, Bates College, UMA, RJIM, Maine Immigrants, Maine Family Planning, Maine Humanities Council, Consumer Council of Maine, Maine Council of Churches
New Partners - Pubic Health Committee for Maine Medical Association, Knox-Waldo Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women. No Penobscot County Jail Expansion , ME-RAP, Southern Maine SURJ(Standing Up for Racial Justice), Amistad, Maine CDC, Vera Institute,FAMM, NRCAT, Unlock the Box, Curative, Augusta Recovery Center, Reform Alliance, College Guild, Project Home, Third Place.
