Organizations

1. Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition

   • statewide group to improve conditions for inmates, former inmates, their families https://www.maineprisoneradvocacy.org

2. College Guild

   • on-campus club, provides free courses for current inmates & connects them with college students https://www.collegeguild.org

3. Maine Inside Out

   • MIO facilitators and incarcerated youth have collaborated to hold theater programs at Maine’s juvenile correctional facility https://www.maineinsideout.org

4. Maine Community Integration

   • MCI integrates New Mainers into their communities while respecting and uplifting their diverse cultures, identities, and tradition https://mcimaine.org/advocacy-group-about-us/

Info

Racial inequality in this country has a deeply rooted past, beginning when Europeans began colonizing the Americas in 1492 and continuing through 1619 with the kidnapping and enslavement of individuals brought over from western African countries. After the passage of the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery in the U.S., African-Americans continued to be subjected to horrific treatment under the Jim Crow Laws which legalized racial segregation from the 1850’s until 1964 with the passage of the Civil Rights Act. Black Americans continue to face institutionalized racism ranging from access to healthcare, education, housing, increased incarceration rates and police brutality. The reality of police brutality was brought to national headlines after the murder of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis in June 2020. This killing sparked outrage among many Americans and led to a mass mobilization effort of protests across the nation. Calls from this protest have ranged from the strengthening of the Black Lives Matter movement, defunding and/or abolishment of the police, holding police officers accountable for their actions, and more. Specifically within Lewiston, criminal justice reform, the funding of police departments and positions, and desegregation of Lewiston public schools are crucial issues within this election cycle. There are drastic differences between racial breakdown of students enrolled at the different public elementary schools in Lewiston. For example, 67% of the students enrolled at Farwell Elementary are White while less than 40% of students at Montello Elementary are White and 60% are Black. While this racial imbalance may not be intentional, it is important to note and work to alleviate.