A great cause and a wonderful event—we hope you’ll check it out and show your support! You can purchase your tickets here.

We're back from a short break and ready to reconnect at our upcoming Community Strategy Meeting on Saturday, September 13 at 10a. This is your opportunity to engage with fellow members, share insights, and collaborate on initiatives that matter most to our community. Let’s hit the ground running and make this meeting a powerful step forward. Join us in person or online!

September is Recovery Month in Maine.

Inside Vision Arts Programming will host a special screening of Recovery in Maine short films for incarcerated individuals at MSP, in collaboration with Sarah Erwin (Points North).

While this event isn’t open to the public, it’s part of a broader effort to recognize the power of recovery and the importance of sharing real stories.

How will you honor Recovery Month?

Join us for an engaging and necessary conversation at the intersection of the lived experience of justice impacted folks, individuals who work within and against the system and those fighting systemic inequity. Free and open to the public! Please register to reserve your spot here.

MPAC will be tabling at the Culture Reggae Festival on Saturday, August 2! Stop by and say hello—learn more about our upcoming initiatives, and grab some free swag while you're there!

Joseph Jackson, Executive Director of MPAC, will be among this year's honorees recognized for the Maine Black Excellence Award presented by The Third Place at Caswell Farm & Wedding Barn in Gray, Maine. We are proud to celebrate Joseph for his outstanding contributions toward creating a more humane, ethical, and equitable carceral system in Maine. This award acknowledges his dedication and impactful work in advocating for meaningful reform and justice within the community.

We’re excited to be tabling at the Town Hall & Community Spotlight hosted by Orange Bike Brewing in Portland on Thursday, July 24 at 5p!

Mark your calendars! We're looking forward to participating in this year’s Puddle Dock Festival on Sunday, July 20 in Alna Maine! There will be artwork created by incarcerated artists on exhibit, curated by our Inside Vision team, as well as artist talks, and live performances. See you there!

Our guest presenter this month will be Courtney Pladsen, MaineCare Medical Director. Courtney will share information about the Maine Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Care Initiative within Maine’s carceral system. Join us in person or online!

Join us for an evening of art and community engagement! Maine Inside Out’s Lewiston Leadership Group will host an Open Mic event on Monday, May 19 from 6 PM to 8 PM in celebration of the “Inside Vision” Gallery Exhibition at L/A Arts. Everyone is welcome.

Inside Vision Film Series is excited to present a film screening of Sing Sing for audiences incarcerated at the Maine Correctional facilities. This screening will be followed by a live discussion with Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, Sing Sing Best Supporting Actor, youth counselor, creative arts specialist, and gang intervention specialist.

Watch the trailer here.

Join us in person or online! We’re excited to have Bay Love from the Groundwater Institute as our guest speaker this month, to discuss their organization and the work they are doing to build a coalition to fight back against injustice.

Inside Vision Film Series will host a screening of “We are the Warriors” this Monday, April 14 for incarcerated audiences at the Maine State Prison. The film explores the controversy surrounding Wells High School's Native American mascot, chronicling the community's journey as they grapple with their history and identity, ultimately leading to the mascot's retirement. It also highlights the importance of solidarity and the fight for justice. Following the film will be a conversation with Maulian Bryant, former Penobscot Nation Ambassador and current Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance, and independent filmmaker David Camlin.

Watch the trailer here.

Join us virtually this Saturday, April 12 at 10am for our MPAC Community Strategy Meeting!

Zoom Link here.

Gina Cilento, a well-known professional tennis player and rising star in the world of pickleball, will visit the Maine State Prison for a special clinic to share her expertise and support aspiring players who are incarcerated to hone their skills in both sports.

Inside Vision Film Series will host a live streaming of “16 Bars” a film featuring Todd Thomas “Speech” from Arrested Development for incarcerated audiences at the Maine State Prison, Maine Women’s Correctional Center, and the Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center with a panel discussion to follow.

Watch the trailer here.

MPAC’s Inside Vision Film screening this month for Incarcerated audiences at the Maine State Prison will be "THE SEARCH FOR GENERAL TSO" which explores the history and cultural significance of a popular Chinese dish, highlighting its connection to food, identity, and the immigrant experience.

Join us Saturday, March 8 at 10am for our MPAC Community Strategy Meeting live from Beyond the Bars in NYC!

Zoom Link here.

The NAACP Maine State Prison Chapter in collaboration with Atlantic Black Box will present a performance by Antonio Rocha titled "The Malaga Ship: A Story of Maine and the Middle Passage" a powerful exploration of the historical connections between Maine and the transatlantic slave trade. Through his storytelling, Rocha will illuminate the narratives often overlooked in mainstream discussions about history and resilience.

Join the Maine Law student groups, Students for the 6th Amendment, American Constitution Society, and the Youth Justice Society, for 6th Amendment and Maine: A Moderated Panel Discussion, including Joseph Jackson, Executive Director of MPAC.

Register here.

Maine State Prison’s annual Victoria Wyeth’s Art Gallery Event will be held Thursday, February 27th. Click here to learn more about the exhibit.

Jan Collins, Associate Director of MPAC, will be a featured presenter at the Maine Youth Power Justice Policy Expert Call to be held virtually on February 12 from 7p to 8p.

Click to register here.

Join us in person or online! Our community partner this month is Kage Johnson, a transformative justice practitioner & abolitionist. She is a co-founder of Healing First!, a Transformative Justice collective entirely led by survivors of violent harm who advocate for RJ/TJ as an accessible option for all. Kage is also the representative for the Maine chapter of the growing global coalition, Survivors For Justice Reform.

A celebration will be held at the Maine State Prison to mark the 20th Anniversary of the NAACP Prison Branch, during which Joseph Jackson, the Executive Director of the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, will be honored as a founding member. This event will also serve as an observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, recognizing the enduring impact of his work and legacy. Keynote Speaker: Senator Rachel Talbot-Ross, who will share her insights and reflections.