Maine Morning Star

Telephones inside a Missouri state women’s prison where incarcerated people pay per-minute rates to call loved ones A growing number of incarcerated people across the country now have access to free phone calls and other communication services, a shift some advocates say is strengthening family connections, improving prison conditions and easing reentry after release. Read the full article in the Maine Morning Star.

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...

The Maine Legislature passed legislation to strengthen existing avenues for oversight of Maine jails, a compromise after an initial proposal for a corrections ombudsman faced pushback.