Supporting Decarceration and Prison Reform
If you would like to support organizations working on decarceration and prison reform in Maine, consider the following organizations:
Maine Inside Out
Maine Inside Out initiates dialogue, develops leadership, and builds community across boundaries with collaborative original theater, inside and outside correctional facilities. We are committed to dismantling all forms of oppression and building a movement for transformative justice in our communities. Maine Inside Out seeks to end youth incarceration and build a movement for transformative justice in Maine by initiating dialogue, developing and supporting youth leadership, and modeling and reinforcing collaborative community-based approaches to conflict resolution and repairing harm. Maine Inside Out believes that Maine can lead the country in eliminating youth incarceration and instead, support meaningful community based efforts to address the needs of young people who have caused harm and been harmed themselves.
Website: https://www.maineinsideout.org/
Donate Link: https://www.maineinsideout.org/conor-spotlight
Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition
MPAC, a statewide grassroots social action and change group builds coalition partnerships with incarcerated citizens in Maine’s prisons and jails and throughout Maine to revise policies and practices affecting those most in need of a power rebalance and equitable justice: Prisoners and former prisoners, their families, and victims of crime. Because of the disproportionate number of incarcerated People of Color in Maine, comparative to overall population, much of MPAC’s work focuses on Prisoners of Color in the prisons and county jails, including Youth of Color at Long Creek Youth Center. Additionally, MPAC works closely with former Adult and Youth Prisoners of Color, training leaders for advocacy and activist programs statewide.
Website: http://www.maineprisoneradvocacy.org/
Donate Link: http://www.maineprisoneradvocacy.org/contact.html
Maine-Wabanaki REACH
REACH believes Wabanaki and Maine people want to change that narrative and be in right relationship with each other and the earth and we have confidence in the transformative power of processes of truth, healing and change. We know that shining a light on the past and within ourselves, families and communities is a critical step in moving Maine toward true racial justice and equity.
Website: http://www.mainewabanakireach.org/
Donate Link: http://www.mainewabanakireach.org/donate
Maine Youth Justice
Maine Youth Justice is a nonpartisan campaign to end youth incarceration in Maine and invest in a range of community-based alternatives that respond to young people’s needs, support families, and build community in support of community alternatives to youth incarceration.
Website: https://www.maineyouthjustice.org/
Donate Link: https://maine-initiatives.networkforgood.com/projects/74607-maine-youth-justice
Portland Outright
Outright supports underserved members of the LGBTQ+ youth population through weekly drop-in hours, ongoing mentorship, social events, and trainings, as well as intentional support to youth navigating systems — such as the juvenile justice system, foster care, homelessness and mental health services. They are a community of people who are invested in each other, building deep connections, sharing both our struggle and joy, while fighting for each other’s dignity and survival.
Website: https://portlandoutright.org/
Donate Link: https://portlandoutright.org/donate
Survivor Speak USA
Survivor Speak USA assists survivors of all forms of sexual exploitation including human sex trafficking. Though the needs for a survivor just coming out of an exploitative situation are basic; they are difficult to access and more importantly these needs are long term. Undoing the trauma of having been victimized, can be a long lonely journey. Survivor Speak connects new survivors to recovered survivors. Survivor Advocacy Leadership Training (SALT), a curriculum rooted in our mission, provides survivors with a structured path to recovery; including empowering each participant to gain individual and group leadership skill to be an organized collective cohesive voice of today’s survivor.
Website: http://www.survivorspeakusa.org/
Donate Link: http://www.survivorspeakusa.org/donate