Director’s Update: November 2025

• Operations:  October operations are on track. 

• MPAC: Board consists of 6 members, Co-Chair Ryun Anderson, Co-Chair Carla Hunt, Secretary Julian Rowand, board members 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 consultant Jeff Evangelos to support clemency and habeas corpus applications. Jeff's clinical trial failed and his prognosis is not good! Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jeff.

• MPAC - has contracted incarcerated resident Gordon Perry to support the website and communication team.

• MPAC has 13 volunteers. Lee Urban,Doug Dunbar, Jon Courtney, Jamie Peloquin, Leslie Manning, Tatum Rosenberg, Olivia Hochstadt, Lani Graham, Adriane Herman, Nicole Lund, Sarah Johnson, 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.

• October MPAC Strategy Meeting - resumed with Cuba and Linda facilitating. 25 people attended in-person and remotely. We processed tension around how and what we advocate for - should/can we clearly communicate what categories we advocate for are they only systemic or individual.

• October MPAC Strategy Meeting - MPAC structure for volunteers to be held by MPAC’S strategy meeting facilitators. It is their role to orient and integrate volunteers. They will update and process tensions raised by volunteers.

• MDOC - absentee ballots were reportedly held for 11 days before being distributed. The ballots were not received by residents in time for their vote to be counted. MPAC ED contacted Sen Talbot-Ross and senior leaders at MDOC. The secretary of state was also contacted. The ensuing dialogue was solution oriented and the agreed course of action was to overnight the ballots. The secretary of state provided a list of residents who received a ballot and the Warden made a plan to collect the ballots.

• MDOC - the Deputy Commissioner Cantillo reached out to MPAC ED about an email bombardment he received over the absentee ballots that referenced MPAC. The emails requested that ballots be given to MPAC staff for delivery to municipalities. He was concerned that MPAC was not operating in good faith. I assured the Deputy Commissioner that this was not an action sanctioned by us. 

• MDOC - MPAC ED and Comms lead met with MDOC to discuss tensions with our Pathways to Release Guide preventing approval for distribution to residents. We are currently developing a plan to incorporate their feedback.

• MDOC - Joseph met with the Deputy Commissioner and received a verbal agreement to sell resident artwork during exhibitions.

• MDOC - fees for technology continue to be a concern for incarcerated residents. Fees were deducted this month and included people who did not have jobs. This action is in direct violation of governing legislation which states said fees must be deducted from earned income.

• MDOC - MPAC received notification of a working group MDOC assembled to access the Earned Time bill. We were caught by surprise and wished the group actually focused on the viability of earned time. 

• MDOC - MCC- MPAC Staff continues to advocate directly with Deputy Warden Chris Arbour and Warden Ben Beal about issues raised by incarcerated women. 

• MDOC - MCC - Antonio Jackson has been cleared to meet with the men at MCC monthly. 

• MCC Longtimers - Daria and Leslie facilitate monthly meetings with the women on the hill and women in the re-entry center.

• MCC Reentry Center - Linda working with the Reentry Center pre-release folks to help people with housing on the outside. She provides women with backpacks containing items that give women a headstart as they return to the community.

• Advocacy Coalition- has resumed meetings every two weeks to discuss legislative strategy.

• Longcreek- Andre updates about Long Creek, noted a decrease in detained youth.

• Longcreek - MPAC is supporting 40 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.

• MSP - The MSP-NAACP has contracted Rachel Talbot Ross as their community liaison.

• MSP - MPAC and MSP-NAACP arranged an event to honor Jeff Evangelos and his tireless work to undue injustices. The event was canceled and has to be rescheduled.

• No Penobscot county jail - needs more support from the recovery community.

Projects:

• Paco's Place- no longer on track, closing delayed as we try to address an unexpected funding gap.

• MPAC Clemency and Appeals project - Jeff was able to help two individuals acquire legal representation. One of the individuals has a hearing in December and the attorney says it looks promising.

• Guide for Filing Grievances.  - MPAC is finalizing a project to consolidate information on how to file grievances properly.

• Reentry Support- MPAC supported 8 individuals in reentry transition for the months of October. We supported a family with a celebration of life.

• Gallery Exhibit Project: Inside Vision- MPAC exhibition at the Francis Hotel is up(Compliments of Adriane Herman and her intern Ivy). Go check it out!

• Gallery Exhibit Project: Inside Vision - lithograph workshops starting at the Reentry Center, Adriane has a professional lithographer visiting. 

• Gallery Exhibit Project: Inside Vision-  Jon Courtney arranged for Can Art Change The World? workshops held at SMWRC and the film Tehachapi shown at the Smooth Feather Theater in Kezar Falls(Silas Hagerty). Fifty community members attended the film and discussion. And we are slated to present an encore screening of Sing Sing later this month.

• Mainecare- our project with Mainecare is complete. We held two survey groups at Franklin County Jail. One for men and one for women. Mainecare is looking to meet to propose future collaborations!

Communications:

• MPAC - Daria Cullen is our communications lead. 

• Website: MPAC Volunteer Jamie Peloquin leads our Website design.

• Google Group: We have restructured our platform and have consolidated updates in a newsletter posted once a week.

• Webpage: Pathways to Promise page is live.

• Daria continues to update our website, https://www.maineprisoneradvocacy.org/

• Webpage - Regular updates such as the weekly listserv email, social media outreach, and website maintenance continue.

• Webpage-  MPAC's fall fundraiser is in full swing. Our goal of $100,000 in 90 days.

• Webpage - Additional resources are being added to the page. The How to Write Effective Testimony guide was added to the legislative action page, and a “Trans Support” option was included in the Contact Us dropdown. The News and Events pages were also updated for September.

• MPAC - new YouTube channel MPAC YouTube channel 

Public engagement:

• On-track.

• MPAC- participate on a panel on voting with the Sentencing Project. Over 300 in attendance.

Donors/ funders:

• Grant team meets weekly. 

• Donate Button Zeffy platform 

• individual donation Zeffy - 610.00 in donations for September 

• MPAC- 3000.00 individual donation 

• MPAC- Onion Foundation 40000.00 over 24 months

• MPAC- JustFundUs 15000

• MPAC - Clean Slate Campaign 100000.00 over 24 months

• MPAC - Peter Alfond Foundation- 32772.00 awarded over 24 months

• MPAC- Peter Alfond Conference- Joseph, Cuba, and Dre attending!

• 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- Focus is on tabling and collecting names/email addresses in every district in the state for legislative letters. Nina,Lani and Jan met with Jill Duson’s assistant Scott Donahue Oct 10 on parole and the ombuds bill. Jan met with Jane Danielson of the the UU Church legislative committee on Oct 9.

• Legislative Committee -  Clean Slate Campaign for record sealing meets regularly with Peter as our representative.

• Legislative Committee - heard and discussed Frank Zarro proposal for an independent public defense program.

• Legislative Update- Parole4ME- meets every other Wednesday at 6:00pm 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 Clean Slate,  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, Maine Arts Commission, Maine Clean Slate Coalition.