Director’s Update: March 2022

Mar 13

Written By Joseph Jackson

Operations: March operations are on track.

MPAC currently has a staff size of 13 individuals. Joseph Jackson, Jan Collins, Peter Lehman, Whitney Parrish, Joelle Jackson, Cheryl Mills, Bobby Payzant, Daniel Fortune, Brandon Brown, Wendy Allen, Andre Hicks, Antonio Jackson and Karen Marysdaughter.
MPAC has 4 volunteers leading projects. Doug Dunbar, Jon Courtney, Jamie Peloquin & Leslie Manning.
MPAC is looking to hire a new bookkeeper. Meeting with Kathy Elliot.
MPAC Staff and Volunteers meet as a full team weekly to update and resolve tensions.
Every MPAC staff member is in communications with incarcerated residents and formerly incarcerated individuals.
In-person meetings between MPAC staff and incarcerated residents at MSP, Bolduc, MCC, SMWRC will resume.
MPAC's application for 501c3 has been submitted.
MPAC is looking to create company emails for all staff.
MPAC Administrative Assistant responds/directs incoming correspondence.
MPAC Strategy Meeting is the second Saturday of each month and continues to be well attended.
MPAC is using the app Instrumentl to discover, research and track grants.
On-going: Advocacy, correspondence, and Direct Dialogue.
MPAC Strategy Meeting - Saturday February 12th had 30 people in attendance. Updates given on the Pros and Cons peer support group MYJ Prone restraints bill, Justice Scholar strategy, and Race Commission. Peter conducted a training workshop on legislative writing and submitting testimony, and we had a group think about positive activities for folks in reentry.
MDOC - The MPAC Executive Director, and Director Jeremy Hiltz of Recovery Housing of Maine met with Deputy Commissioner Ryan Thornell, and MDOC Diversity Manager Roy King regarding racial disparities in SCCP. MDOC agreed to begin collecting data. All SCCP appeals will go to the Deputy Commissioner.
MDOC - outbreaks at MSP, MCC, and Mountainview are subsiding. MDOC is conducting pool testing. Covid-19 restrictions are being relaxed. MPAC continues to advocate for a vaccine mandate for all MDOC staff.
York County Jail - men complained of being in solitary like conditions and only let out of cells for 30 minutes/day for 20 days. They complain of no access to medical, or clean laundry. MPAC reached out to the Sheriff who acknowledged the covid lockdown, but not the other issues raised. We're asking York County BOV to inquire.
MDOC - MPAC Executive Director met with Commissioner Liberty to discuss relations and collaboration during this intense legislative period. We agreed to continue to have open dialog about matters of concern.
MCC Reentry Center- MPAC Staff and Volunteers met virtually w/residents and Unit Admin despite active cases in SMWRC. Healthcare continues to be raised as an issue of concern, particularly for women of color.
Longcreek - MPAC Coordinator Brandon Brown submitted a list of names of people who would like to come into Long Creek as volunteers including folks with lived experience. The resident advisory council is going well. The resident culinary program put on a dinner Brandon attended.
MCC Reentry Center- MPAC Coordinator Wendy Allen has to complete volunteer training before being allowed to support women housed in Windham.
MPAC staff are supporting formerly incarcerated individuals in reentry. One on one and in group settings.
MPRN / ME-RAP held a two day event and grand opening of the Augusta Recovery Center! There was some discussion around the Good Sam Bill, Black balloons were released for those lost to overdoses. Brandon spoke,Charlotte spoke, it was well attended.
MPAC Staff is collaborating with the Rest Center in Lewiston on a peer support group for formerly incarcerated individuals entitled Pros and Cons.
MPAC Staff had 26 meetings with incarcerated individuals transitioning into reentry.
MPAC Staff had weekly arts programming for prisons meetings and weekly legislative action/strategy meetings.
MPAC Staff and volunteers were interviewed by the BDN editorial board regarding solitary confinement, as well as major statewide newspapers(BDN, Portland Press, Central Maine/Kennebec Journal, Beacon) and television stations( Fox news and WABI)
MPAC Staff are working to create Reentry/Recovery Housing and a Recovery Center in Franklin County.
MPAC Staff are pursuing a complaint against DOC staff Diane Sleek for violating the constitutional rights of an inmate attempting to testify at a public hearing.

Projects:

MPAC held a protest at the State house on Solitary confinement. It received a lot of publicity. The Solitary confinement campaign wrapped up with the bill failing to get a majority ought-to-pass vote from the Committee. The sponsorRep Grayson Lookner is vowing to press for a vote on the floor of the legislature.
Gallery Exhibit - Art project for Prisons is coming together- our intern from last year will curate the exhibit. The Portland Public Library has agreed to hold the exhibition in October (may do so annually). Meeting with MDOC next week to determine point people in each facility.
MPAC worked with a Portland group applying to the McArthur Foundation for a grant to Address housing in Cumberland County for system impacted individuals, with a primary focus on BIPOC Identities. Portland made it to the finals, but wasn't selected.
MPAC Volunteer Jon Courtney is leading a project to provide increased access to Library books in Maine's prisons and jails. Meeting with MDOC on next steps.
MPAC Staff is partnering with Amistad to provide support for incarcerated residents in Cumberland County.
MPAC Staff worked with Bates professor Amy Douglas to develop a survey for formerly incarcerated people, and did a presentation for her class. Nazli Konya’s, Colby College, students read testimony at the Solitary confinement hearing.
MPAC staff is considering partnering 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.
MPAC is still considering partnering with Dan Black (real estate developer) about the Charles Jordan House located at 63 Academy Street Auburn Maine. The house was a boarding house with 12 rooms, bathrooms, and community space for living and kitchens. Group is offering MPAC ownership of the property.
MSP- MPAC Coordinator Dan Fortune completed interviewing incarcerated residents about Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. We assembled the responses into 7 buckets we are hoping Dr. Shaw will address.
Justice Scholar strategy- MPAC Executive Director is meeting Catherine Besteman and Erica King to discuss next steps for Freedom and Captivity and the justice Scholar strategy.
Mellon UMA Grant - MPAC received a grant for 16 laptops for incarcerated students.
The Executive Director is working with UMA Melon Director and the Director of the College Guild on the Letters Project. It's a project targeting incarcerated residents to participate in a correspondence course to prepare them for the college experience.

Social Media platforms:

Public engagement is On-track..

Website engagement up. A lot of press on our solitary confinement campaign.

Donors/ funders:

MPAC received 2375.00 dollars from Maine Initiatives.
MPAC received 5064.00 dollars from the University of Maine Augusta
MPAC received 701.00 dollars from individual donors.

UMA Mellon- we received 6600.00 dollars in reimbursement

Legislative:

Long term care bill sponsor requested an ought-not-to-pass vote which was unanimous. The MDOC said they had rewritten the SCCP policy for the dying, but they had not.
Phone charges bill, workshop postponed.
The Parole study bill passed the house and senate. Governor allowed it into law without signing!
Solitary confinement received an 8 to 7 ought-not-to-pass vote, but the sponsor Representative Grayson Lookner will promote it on the floor of the legislature.

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 College, 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. No Penobscot County Jail Expansion , ME-RAP, Southern Maine SURJ(Standing Up for Racial Justice), Amistad, Maine CDC, Vera Institute, Curative, Augusta Recovery Center.

Communications/ Media:

Joseph Jackson https://maineprisoneradvocacy.org