Maine was the first state to abolish parole. Incarcerated Mainers, advocates hope to bring it back.

Maine State Prison, the state’s largest correctional facility, located in Warren. (Photo by Evan Popp/Maine Morning Star)

Incarcerated Mainers can get college degrees, earn wages through remote work and vote. There’s universal access to medication for opioid use disorder in the state’s prisons, along with mental health services, collaborations with victim service organizations and reimagined living spaces to support rehabilitation.

These opportunities for personal growth helped establish the “Maine Model of Corrections” as one of the country’s most restorative programs, with a revised mission to make communities safer by helping incarcerated people transform their lives.

Read the full article in the Maine Morning Star.