Director’s Update: June 2025
Operations: June operations are on track.
MPAC: Board consists of 7 members, Co-Chair Ryun Anderson, Co-Chair Carla Hunt, Executive Secretary Julian Rowand, board members Jadirah Ortiz, Craig Williams, Rosalani Moore and Thraza Rosie Hylton.
MPAC currently has a staff size of 12 individuals. Joseph Jackson, Jan Collins, Peter Lehman, Joelle Jackson, Darlene George, Brandon Brown, Andre Hicks, Antonio Jackson, Linda Small, Sammy Basu, Daria Cullen and Kathy Elliot
MPAC- contracted Jeff Evangelos to support clemency and habeas corpus applications.
MPAC has 12 volunteers. Doug Dunbar, Jon Courtney, Jamie Peloquin, Leslie Manning, Tatum Rosenberg, Olivia Hochstadt, Lani Graham, Adriane Herman, Nicole Lund, Sarah Johnson, Ann Beaudry, Craig McEwen, Al Cleveland, and Luca Mellon. Special thanks for their work and dedication.
MPAC Mission. Value, and Purpose statements
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 criminal 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 Volunteers meet as a full team weekly to update and resolve tensions.
MPAC staff members are in regular communications with incarcerated residents and formerly incarcerated individuals.
MPAC staff meeting in-person with incarcerated residents at MSP, Bolduc, MCC, SMWRC.
MPAC Strategy Meeting is the second Saturday of each month from 10-12.
MPAC - Legislative Strategy Meeting every Tuesday at 5:30 pm.
Arts Programming Team - meets weekly Thursday mornings at 8:00am.
MPAC Website Committee: meets bi-weekly, Wednesday at 5:00 pm
MPAC - Development and Communications Committee meets Mondays every other week at 8:00 am.
MPAC - grant committee meets weekly on Tuesday.
MPAC - Ways of Working committee meets monthly.
MPAC - staff continues to support formerly incarcerated individuals in reentry, with transport, peer to peer support. One on one and in group settings.
On-going: Advocacy, correspondence, and Direct Dialogue.
May MPAC Strategy Meeting - Meeting went well. Bay Love was our spotlighted speaker for the Groundwater Institute. 19 people attended the strategy meeting.
MDOC - Joseph met with Deputy Commissioner Cantillo to advocate for 3 individuals stuck in the ACU. The men complained there was no pathway to work their way out of the unit. They filed grievances and when that didn't work, staged an 8 hunger strike. Cantillo is looking into the matter.
MDOC - The law Library (Westlaw) has been added to the tablets, seemly increasing access. Residents complain that nearly a third of residents are unable to access wifi in their cells. There have also been a complaint that the requirement to submit a written request to the librarian for printed copies creates a barrier because of the turnaround time.
Joseph met with Deputy Commissioner Cantillo to advocate for Foster Bates who is in the process of trying to overturn his case was found guilty of misusing his laptop to meet the deadline for his appeal.
MDOC - Joseph met with Deputy Commissioner Cantillo to advocate for Dan Fortune who was found guilty of misusing his laptop by contacting us to seek clarification on a decision to cancel visits at MSP. I argued that Dan had been given permission to use his laptop in his role as MSP-NAACP secretary.
MDOC - Joseph met with Deputy Commissioner Cantillo to discuss the Inside Vision Project and Gallery Exhibition at the Francis Hotel Oct - Dec.
Joseph met with Deputy Commissioner Cantillo to discuss the return of checks individuals addressed as donations for MSP-NAACP. Cantillo was unaware this was occurring.
MDOC - Joseph attended a policy change hearing at MDOC headquarters about the proposed change to discontinued to accept checks or money orders for residents accounts. The change makes MDOC the only state agency to not accept checks or money orders as legal tender. It creates a burden and a tax on families and friends of residents. It also places a burden on companies that employ residents.
MDOC - Bruce Noddin has been hired to lead reentry Support for the department.
MCC- MPAC Staff met with Deputy Warden Chris Arbour and Warden Ben Beal about issues raised by incarcerated women. DW Arbour has asked that we bring our concerns to him as soon as possible.
MCC Longtimers - MPAC has contracted women at MCC to print MPAC T-shirts and Brochures for tabling. The t-shirts have the slogans “No More Solitary” and Bring Back Parole”.
MCC Longtimers - MPAC has contracted women at MCC to create MPAC Keychains for tabling.
MCC Longtimers - Darlene highlighted improvements at the reentry center due to Sloan's leadership as intern, while Leslie noted increased cooperation among staff. Residents were allowed to grilled burgers for memorial day.
MCC Longtimers - MCC has adopted a new practice for PREA complaints. The person issuing the complaint and the alleged perpetrator both are taken to solitary until the matter is investigated. MPAC is monitoring the situation.
MCC Reentry Center - Linda working with the Reentry Center release folks to help people with housing on the outside. She provides women with backpacks containing items that gives women a headstart as they return to the community.
Advocacy Coalition- is planning a retreat in July to develop a strategy to advance youth justice.
Longcreek- Andre updates about Long Creek, noted a decrease in detained youth and an increase in female residents. Andre also noted Longcreek has an Earned Living Unit.
Longcreek - MPAC is supporting 26 youth in reentry. There is weekly engagement with youth one-on-one or in groups. Youth are provided food, shoes, and haircuts. They are supported with seeking employment (help with filling out applications). Andre is speaking on behalf of youth during court hearings.
Longcreek- Joseph and Andre are planning our first outdoor retreat with Youth on June 30th.
MSP - access to Healthcare meetings will resume this month.
MSP- MPAC is reviewing complaints about new policy enforcements at MSP that are leading to severe penalties regarding computer access.
County Jails - MPAC responded to 3 request for support for individuals in Penobscot, Cumberland, and York Counties
Projects:
Paco's Place- MPAC has a preliminary agreement with MDOC to support the Mission of the reentry house.
MPAC Clemency project - Darlene and Jeff working on a clemency case for a woman on the hill. We are currently looking for support letters for Tracy Meggison, and Pedro Santiago.
Outdoor Retreat - MPAC had two outdoor excursions with formerly incarcerated individuals from Recovery Housing of Maine. We transported men to the lake and grilled burgers.
Guide to Pathways for Release from Prison in Maine. - is complete. We contracted the residents to produce 100 copies. We have initiated talks with the MDOC to upload the guide to resident tablets.
Reentry Support- MPAC supported 8 people in reentry transition this month. We supported two families with celebrations of life for the losses of two formerly incarcerated individuals.
Gallery Exhibit Project titled Inside Vision- Adriane is doing a multipart bird watching project with Samaa at MCC. They are doing nature walks and birding. Adriane’s SMWRC 6-week series Smorgasbord is up on the website. https://www.maineprisoneradvocacy.org/events/smorgasbird
MPAC- met with the Brennan Center as advisors on their research of Maine prisons. Report compares MDOC policies to facilities nationwide. MDOC scores high when compared to other states.
Mainecare- MPAC is partnering with Mainecare to hold workshops at MSP, MCC, Statewide Community meeting and a county jail. MDOC is on board!
Bates College Project - Linda reports that the Bates College project is complete, students organized and verified resource links.
Communications:
MPAC - Daria Cullen is our communications lead.
Website: MPAC Volunteer Jamie Peloquin leads our Website design.
Website: Added the Legislative Tracker.
Website : Inside Vision page is live.
Website : Jamie is working to improve communications.
Website : team working to create a newsletter.
Daria continues to update our website, https://www.maineprisoneradvocacy.org/
MPAC - new YouTube channel MPAC YouTube channel
MPAC brochures - Jamie and Daria have updated the design of our brochure.
Public engagement is On-track.
Darlene spoke at the Maine Primary Care Association on May 29th
Jan spoke with the Maine Human Rights Commission June 2nd
In the news:
https://www.sunjournal.com/2025/05/22/historic-auburn-mansion-to-become-post-prison-reentry-site/
Action Alert:
https://act.famm.org/a/support-expanding-supervised-community-confinement-maine
Donors/ funders:
Grant team meets weekly.
PayPal Transition: we continue to receive monthly donations on our paypal account. We have sent letters to our monthly donors informing them of our move to Zeffy.
Donate Button Zeffy platform
individual donation Zeffy - 150 in reoccurring monthly donations.
MPAC- United Way 39 dollars
MPAC - denied Bangor Savings
MPAC- Durham Monthly Meeting of Friends - 500.00
MPAC- MSP resident Douglas Guilding - 75 dollars Inside Vision Project
MPAC- Maine Community Foundation- 10000 (CW)
MPAC - Joseph attended Maine Philanthropy Center Conference
Become A Sustainer campaign- A sustainer is a Donor or Supporter who commits to making monthly or yearly donations of time or money to the organization. Sustainers play a crucial role in providing a stable and predictable source of income for us by allowing us to plan and execute long-term initiatives with greater confidence.
Legislative:
Assistant Director Jan Collins leads!
Legislative Committee Meetings - meets Tuesdays at 5:30pm each week.
Legislative- session is winding down.
Legislative Committee - Linda testified about SCCP, BOV, and Achieving Gender Equality.
Legislative Committee - MPAC Legislative Team has posted weekly legislative reports to the listserv since the beginning of January.
Legislative Committee - our team followed 127 bills this legislative session, we testified on 80 bills, 25 of the bills we testified on prevailed.
Legislative Update- Parole4Me- meets every other Wednesday over zoom.
Legislative Update- MPAC’S 2025 Legislative Tracker
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, FAMM (Families for Justice Reform).
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, Reform Alliance, College Guild, Project Home, Maine Health Equity Foundation, Orange Bike Brewing Company, Friends of LongCreek, Groundwater Institute, Volunteers of America, Brennan Center.
Strategic Partnerships-
Clean Slate Initiative - MPAC met with Ryan Ewing a campaign staffer with the Clean Slate Initiative. Our conversation involved bringing a Clean Slate Campaign to Maine.
MERN- Bruce Noddin is now the statewide reentry coordinator for MDOC. Jamar Williams has taken over as the interim director
