Director’s Update: December 2021
Director's Board Report: December 2021
Operations: Fall operations are on track.
Kevin Collins, Brandon Brown and Wendy Smith getting acclimated as MPAC Coordinators.
MPAC Staff is meeting regularly for updates, and tension processing.
Every staff member engaged in written correspondence with incarcerated individuals on a daily basis.
In-person meetings between MPAC staff and incarcerated residents at MSP, Bolduc, MCC, SMWRC have been ongoing.
MPAC is still working on our application for 501c3 status.
MPAC website management is on-going. Jamie created some training materials for staff to expand roles to include website additions.
MPAC Director and coordinators engaged in Reentry support for returning citizens.
MPAC Strategy Meeting was canceled due to the passing of Dee Clarke.
MPAC Strategy Meeting happened the following week. It was an abbreviated meeting from 10 - 11. Jan was the lead Facilitator
MPAC Strategy Meeting this Saturday from 10-12.
On-going: Advocacy, correspondence, and Direct Dialogue.
November MPAC Strategy Meeting -
Conversation around solitary confinement.
MPAC Director will take part in a meeting with the governor on December 17th.
MDOC - outbreaks at MSP, MCC, and Mountainview. A man in his forties has died. In-person visits have been curtailed. Universal testing and the booster is now being offered to residents.
MDOC- Christine Thibeault- former district attorney, new commissioner for youth services.
MPAC is working in Coalition with other partners to develop a strategy to put pressure on the governor.
MDOC - Randy and Anna meeting with Melon Grant Advisory board, (MPAC Director is a member) to discuss the former makeup of that board. MDOC had formerly requested the board be disbanded and remade to exclude Charlotte and Rachel.
MDOC- MPAC Coordinator Brandon Brown talked with Dave Simpson (in charge of community placements) about SCCP policy changes. Brandon is trying to partner with the Organization “Recidivists”. They are doing the data collection/analysis for MDOC. with them to do qualitative analysis.
MCC Reentry Center- Large number of women attended. Staff trusted Leslie and Cheryl to meet without staff present. Wendy participated.
MCC Longtimers - MPAC Volunteer Leslie Manning met with a regular attendee of our meetings who is in the process of passing. She requested that we continue to love her people.
MCC Longtimers - MPAC Coordinator Cheryl Mills is in talks with Michelle (MDOC administrator) about scheduling for Board of Visitors meetings.
Bolduc - Mail situation has been resolved. It had been reported that mail was being held for up to two weeks at the facility.
Long Creek - Brandon has been going into Longcreek visiting with youth in groups and individually. He's currently focused on Restorative practices. One proposal is the creation of a youth advisory group that meets with admin bi-weekly.
Longcreek- the CCLP report was released by the MDOC this week.
Brandon went into the facility. The first time We have been inside since the pandemic. Brandon visited with a lense focused on Restorative Justice. He is planning to visit the facility a couple days a week, interacting with the youth, creating relationships, and building familiarity and trust.
MPAC Director supported 2 individuals with reentry support for the month of October. Totaling 200.00.
Peter spent Friday supporting reentry. MPAC and MPRN now offer Reentry support for folks in the Administrative Control Unit.
MSP - ACU residents had a hunger strike. MPAC Staff handled the initial request for support around segregation. It initially came in as a written request. Callie Ferguson from Bangor Daily covered the story
MSP - newly released man (Tony Norman) passed away from Covid complications. MPAC Coordinator Brandon is Fundraising for Tony Norman.
MSP, MCC - Library remains a problem - residents cannot physically access books from the library. MPAC staff exploring Reginald Betts micro libraries.
Paco, Wendy, and Brandon joined the meeting of formerly incarcerated individuals at the REST Center Monday evenings.
Projects:
UMA Mellon project issuing MPAC a $5000 to provide tech support for returning students- We will be getting 14 used laptops for newly released folks enrolled in college. .
Technological support - Mikol is creating a list of Youtube videos that could be useful for reentry support.
MPAC campaign on Solitary Confinement. Assistant Director Jan Collins is leading the campaign.
Assistant Director Collins is working with Dan Fortune at MSP and the Department of Corrections to archive inmate art, writing, music and videos at in the Maine Voices - Freedom and Captivity digital file of the Maine Historical Society.
MPAC is initiating a project to conduct a Yearly gallery exhibit.
MPAC Reentry housing - in conversation with Aron Mcpike to start a reentry program at 87 Bartlett st Lewiston Maine. The property has 10 rooms, 3 bathrooms, it will be fully furnished and include electricity, and heat.
Social Media platforms:
Public engagement is On-track. Channel 6 did a story about Brandon and Wendy.
MPAC Director gave an interview about the hunger strike.
MPAC Director collaborated with Muskie for Abolition Night at the Strand theater in Rockland.
MPAC collaborated with Maine Inside Out, and Maine Youth Justice for a Freedom and Captivity Project at University of Farmington.
MPAC Director part of a Colby panel, Beyond the Page, Writing for the Moment.
Website engagement up 172 percent from the previous month.
The Facebook page reached over 2282 individuals this past month.
Donors/ funders:
MPAC is receiving 5000 from the Mellon grant for tech support for returning students.
MPAC was awarded 25000 the Grants for Change from Maine Initiatives.
MPAC is receiving 3000 from Maine Youth Justice to support general operations
GiveButter Donations total 3549, from 25 supporters
Legislative:
Assistant Director Collins has been participating in committees and conversations on three hold over bills. Peter Lehman has been participating on the Criminal Records Committee of the legislature.
Holdover bills
LD 696 - An Act to Prohibit solitary Confinement in Maine’s Correctional Facilities - Representative Lookner, G of Portland. Conversations with members of NY state Ban Solitary and National Campaign to End Solitary(Unlock the Box) are happening. A sign on letter has been developed.
LD 476 -An Act To Provide Licensed Assisted Living and Nursing Facilities Levels of Care for Incarcerated Persons Representative Morales, V of So Portland
LD 1009 Resolve, To Create the Working Group To Design Jail Resource Navigator Services for Maine County Jails' Representative Madigan, C of Waterville
New bills
LD 1786 Bill "An Act To Maintain Consistency among Maine's Nondiscrimination Statutes”
New Bills without a LD number-
LR 2502 Representative Talbot Ross, R of Portland An Act To Facilitate Data Collection in Order To Eliminate Profiling in Maine
LR 2440 Senator Hickman, C of Kennebec An Act To Strengthen the Maine Civil Rights Act
LR 2251 Representative Lookner, G of Portland An Act To Prevent the Use of Prone Restraints on Youths Held in Department of Corrections Facilities
LR 2359 President Jackson, T of Aroostook An Act To Expand Access to Justice in Rural Maine through Legal Education
Strategic Partnerships:
Ongoing
MaineTransnet, GLADD, Portland Outright, MIO, MYJ, Maine Law School, Disability Rights, Maine Equal Justice, ACLU, Muskie, Recovery Connections, Recovery Housing, JJAG, Women’s League of Voters, MPRN, MPDA, MSP-NAACP, Colby, Bates College, UMA, RJIM, Maine Immigrants, Maine Family Planning, Maine Humanities Council
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.
