Honoring Jeff Evangelos: He never forgot us. We won't forget him either.

Portrait of Jeff Evangelos

Last month, Maine lost one of its fiercest and most compassionate public servants when former State Representative Jeff Evangelos passed away at 73, following a long battle with cancer. As a long time resident of Maine State Prison in Warren, I wanted to say a few words to honor his incredible legacy and character

Many in Augusta will remember Jeff as a blunt, principled independent who refused to follow party lines and always did what he felt was right. But for those of us in the Maine State Prison, and others living within the Maine Department of Corrections, Jeff will be remembered as something far more rare and precious. Even after leaving elected office, Jeff continued visiting the prison almost every weekend, assisting with innocence petitions and offering mentorship and friendship to incarcerated men. He continued those visits even while battling metastatic prostate cancer. To the very end, he showed up for others. He believed every person deserved dignity, especially those the world had written off.

Jeff’s career was defined by his long-standing service to the people of Maine. He served as a State Representative from 2012 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022. A graduate of the University of Maine (1974) and SUNY Brockport (1973), his education fueled a life dedicated to advocacy.

When I entered the prison system in 1993, the environment was more about survival than reform. Things have improved enormously in Maine’s DOC over the last several years thanks to the reform efforts and advocacy of people like Jeff , who had a true heart of gold. Jeff fought for humane treatment within the corrections system as well as for individuals he felt were treated unjustly.

Today, Maine has implemented the M.M.O.C., an innovative correctional system that emphasizes humane treatment, programming, education, and pathways to reentry that those of us inside never imagined possible a decade ago. This system would never have evolved without folks like Jeff consistently pushing for progress.

In 2021, Jeff authored and sponsored LD 842, “An Act To Reestablish Parole.” For most politicians, incarcerated people are invisible; we cannot vote and hold no political power. Yet, Jeff chose to stand with us not because it benefited him, but because it was right. That alone set him apart.

For those of us on the inside, Jeff’s passing brings a profound, personal grief. He wasn’t a distant official who saw prisons only on paper or in budget lines. Jeff showed up. He answered our letters. He spoke with us directly. He listened when few others would. Jeff will be remembered within this system long after these current buildings are gone.

During the frightening height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when fear and uncertainty swept through the units, Jeff was our loudest and most unwavering advocate. He fought relentlessly for basic health, safety, and human dignity, demanding masks, testing, and humane conditions. He refused to let us become statistics.

Jeff’s compassion was matched only by his stubborn insistence on accountability. Whether questioning police shootings, pushing to end qualified immunity, or demanding body cameras, Jeff challenged systems that rarely challenge themselves. He stood nearly alone at times, but he stood firm because he believed the truth mattered more than comfort.

That same spirit drove his tireless advocacy for those he believed were innocent. Regardless of political agendas, Jeff’s persistence spoke volumes about his character. When he thought an institution had failed, he never looked away; he pushed for new DNA testing and new trials with a determination that defined his entire career.

In 2023, Jeff was honored with the NAACP Beacon of Hope Award in recognition of his advocacy for criminal justice reform and the restoration of parole. The presentation took place right here at the Maine State Prison. The president of the prison branch of the NAACP, a fellow resident, offered words of praise and presented Jeff with a handcrafted hardwood plaque made in the prison shop.

Jeff represented the best of Maine, with a courage rooted in conscience. Yes, he could be blunt. Yes, he could be loud. But behind that exterior was a man whose heart beat for the underdog and the voiceless until the very end.

Augusta will be quieter without him. The halls of the State House will miss his fire. But the loudest echo of his legacy will continue inside the walls of the Maine State Prison and across the MDOC, where his voice reached us again and again, reminding us that we were not forgotten.

Rest in peace, Jeff.

Thank you for fighting for us when so few would.

Thank you for seeing our humanity.

Thank you for never turning away.

Your legacy lives on in the hearts of those you lifted up.