Director’s Update: May 2025
Operations: April 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.
April MPAC Strategy Meeting - Meeting went well. The meeting was Live from New Orleans Higher Education in Prison Conference. 19 people attended the strategy meeting.
MDOC - Joseph and Jan met with Deputy Commissioner Cantello, which resulted in continued access to facilities.
MDOC - Two women just got banned from MDOC: Both were teachers.
MDOC - lost Federal grants for "Improving Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Outcomes for Adults in Reentry. - Second Chance Act Addressing the Needs of Incarcerated Parents and Their Minor Children and - Smart Probation: Innovations in Supervision Initiative.
MCC- MPAC Staff met with Deputy Warden Chris Arbour and Warden Ben Beal. We are concerned about what is being done and what is said. Wellpath now has 2 dentists at MCC to address dental care at the facility.
MCC- DW Arbour has asked that we bring our concerns to him as soon as possible.
MCC Longtimers - MPAC has learned that Unit Manager Segler was hurt in an motorcycle accident. The women are feeling his absence. MPAC is sending flowers.
MCC Longtimers - incarcerated women have mixed feelings about the federal government pulling grants because of a trans individuals at the women’s prison. MPAC Coordinator Darlene George is supporting the individual in question.
MCC Reentry Center - Daria and Leslie meet with the women monthly. Employment remains an issue. MDOC is working to address the issue and has reached out to at least 77 companies for employment. There are 84 residents at the reentry center. 37 women are eligible to work, and out of the 37, 25 are working. Transportation to jobs still an issue.
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- continuing to process youth justice issues.
Longcreek- Andre reported as of last week there were 20 boys committed to Longcreek. This is a high number of kids. 11 detained boys, and 8 girls.
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 in June.
MSP - MPAC has received several complaints from incarcerated residents at MSP about their solitary confinement placements. Scheduling a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner.
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:
MPAC - Maine Housing Authority has granted us a Notice to Proceed. Stakeholders toured the house and accessed the scope of work. Paperwork for MPAC’S LLC for tax credits are complete. Breaking ground on Paco's Place (Charles Jordan) reentry house is on-track for June.
Paco's Place- MPAC is looking to contract a film maker to document the process for development purposes.
MPAC Clemency project - Jeff continues to meet with residents every Sunday. He has been granted permission to bring paper files in the facility and a note has been placed at the desk.
Outdoor Retreat - MPAC had two outdoor retreats with 8 formerly incarcerated individuals from Recovery Housing of Maine. The men were excited and said they can't wait to it again.
Get Out of Prison Guide - MPAC is continuing to work in collaboration with Freedom and Captivity, and the Justice Collective to create a Guide to Pathways for early release. We have contracted Geneviève Beaudoin to format the electronic and hard copy versions. We are in the final editing stages.
Reentry Support- MPAC supported 7 people in reentry transition this month. We lost a system impacted comrade in a car accident and showed up to support his family.
Gallery Exhibit Project titled Inside Vision- gallery art exhibition at LA arts from March 28–May 19. Maine Inside Out is holding an Open Mic entitled Inside Vision on May 19th from 6-8 to commemorate the exhibition.
Inside Vision Project - May 12th viewing of the film Sing Sing.
MPAC- working with the Brennan Center as advisors to their research in Maine prisons.
Mainecare- MPAC is partnering with Mainecare to hold workshops at MSP, MCC, Statewide Community meeting and a county jail.
Communications:
MPAC - Daria Cullen is our communications lead.
Website: MPAC Volunteer Jamie Peloquin leads our Website design.
Website: Added the Legislative Tracker.
Website : promoting Inside Vision gallery exhibition at LA ARTS.
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.
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 - 349 raised this month. 170 in reoccurring monthly donations.
MPAC- Maine Initiatives 10000
MPAC - Maine Health Access Foundation- 40000.00
individual donation - Francis LLC (Inside Vision) 500
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- the team is in Augusta 4 or 5 days a week. We are following over 100 bills and will give testimony on them all.
Legislative Committee - Linda testified about SCCP, BOV, and Achieving Gender Equality.
Legislative Committee - Peter testified on lethal force on transports, retaining the term alleged, and the destruction of personal property of the homeless.
Legislative Committee- Jan testified on BOVs(as did Lucas Melon), excluding DV convictions from SCCP, Sustainable Housing Development and Work Release.
Legislative - team is attending workshops and responding to questions on priority bills.
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
