Voices from the Other Side: Recent Episodes
WMPG
Voices from the Other Side is primarily intended, first of all, to be a beacon of hope and a true 'voice" for our "forgotten" incarcerated communities, of both women and men , within the confines of the Department of Corrections. Certainly our target audience( as well as interviewees) may very well be these same prisoners , who might otherwise ,for the most part, face an almost insurmountable task of ever being heard from, by the outside community, while serving out their sentences.
On the other hand, our "stakeholders" could very well, for example, also include the Commissioner of the DOC, leaders within the "recovery communities," or perhaps someone advocating on behalf of the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition.
also, ... In gratitude to Michael Geneseo, Graphic Artist, for his conceptual ideas, to final image design we believe best captures our vision and spirit, in his own words...
" I wanted to use elements that gave a feeling of imprisonment while affording some wiggle room in the graphics so that itâs not all prison. The orange I chose is two-fold: first to reference the orange jumpsuits that are so synonymous with jail and second because orange is an active and positive color. "
Jan Collins of the Maine Prisoners Advocacy Coalition discovered her true calling almost literally, by way of abject poverty, as a young school girl, by growing up with her sister and mum in a plywood trailer, donated by her uncle, a Maine dairy farmer. Other coincidental circumstances , and much more, are explained as Jan's good fortune finds its way among Maine's incarcerated populations ... oh, almost forgot to mention, this was far from your typical camper or mobile home... Jan calls it rightfully, the 2 bunk trailer. A minor disclaimer is in order here as well... a day's worth of edits as well delayed by my iMac hard drive crash earlier ... so please forgive the peculiar beginning... This is also for Arline Lawless, so no time to waste
Jerome Weiner is a "child of the 1960s,..." " I left college thinking I was basically going to fix the world ..." I've worked all my life in non-profits...**
"We work with people from every walk of life..." Abuse knows no boundaries."**
Non-profits have never been taught to work together..." We had to put some parameters around it..." We've become better competitors..."
I'll stop when I realize I'm not having this much fun..."
Caution! Smoking may lead to bank robbery...
*"Anybody can do anything they want to do..."
Trust yourself...step out of your comfort zone... Follow your dream! "
Most of society is very black and white...
Most people don't want to talk to us..." [those in recovery]*
Support the show
Michael Paddleford .*.."I did a lot of stupid stuff... just to feed my habit." It all went to the same place, every time. "It was very eye-opening to realize... "
"We know connections work..."*
Support the show
Michael Paddleford ..."I did a lot of stupid stuff... just to feed my habit." It all went to the same place, every time. "It was very eye-opening to realize... "
"We know connections work..."
Support the show
Deb shares some of her views in explaining how working as a Certified Intentional Peer Specialist has its unique challenges as well as rewards. Both valuable and useful to herself, as well as knowing how to trust oneself to have " found the untold story."
Support the show
After 26 years of service at the federal level, Matt Brown brings a contagious, and uniquely selfless perspective of the plight of the homeless, living day to day on the streets of Portland, Maine. What's so different, as well as compelling at the same time, is a certification process that is quickly catching on at many of the mental health, and crisis and recovery centers in this region. Matt speaks of one such crisis center, The livingRoom, on Elm ST, in downtown Portland, and why suddenly residents, as well as other city services are finally taking notice.
Support the show
Interview with Rob "Rage " Bartlett , Local Journalist / Holistic Recovery Project manager, speaking on recent untimely deaths of two incarcerated individuals at both the Maine State Prison and the Maine Correctional Center. The state of Maine contracts with Well Path medical care , who is responsible for the oversight of medical care for those incarcerated at any prison facility within MAINE. WellPath also contracts with 34 other facilities across the nation.
Valerie Cartoni hosts this program is being designed to save lives, restore hope and reduce recidivism. This later will be developed into an entry level college course to Sociology and Peace Studies in Prison. Participants will learn how sociological aspects affect their growth and development into adults. Tools such as mindful breathing, journaling and meditation will be topics discussed to reduce stress, and anxiety, along with learning how to create new routines and healthy habits. Studies show that meditation in prisons reduces violence, and education reduces recidivism.
This program is being designed to save lives, restore hope and reduce recidivism. This later will be developed into an entry level college course to Sociology and Peace Studies in Prison. Participants will learn how sociological aspects affect their growth and development into adults. Tools such as mindful breathing, journaling and meditation will be topics discussed to reduce stress, and anxiety, along with learning how to create new routines and healthy habits. Studies show that meditation in prisons reduces violence, and education reduces recidivism.
Valerie Cartonio- Producer of this program being designed to save lives, restore hope and reduce recidivism. This later will be developed into an entry level college course to Sociology and Peace Studies in Prison. Participants will learn how sociological aspects affect their growth and development into adults. Tools such as mindful breathing, journaling and meditation will be topics discussed to reduce stress, and anxiety, along with learning how to create new routines and healthy habits. Studies show that meditation in prisons reduces violence, and education reduces recidivism.
I recently caught up with Tom Flynn, a former Development Director, as well as host of his own radio show, Saltwater Farm. while he lived here in Portland in the early 2000's. Several years later,Tom with his wife, decided to leave Portland and relocated to Minneapolis for a position at a K-12 public school.
Tom gives us a very personal first hand view of what it was like there, just days after the tragic death of George Floyd, and the devastating fires and riots, incited primarily by an out of state fringe group.
The R.E.S.T. recovery center is located on 205 Main St, Lewiston. Rosie the Executive Director says " We've now found that the opposite of addiction isn't "recovery" - the opposite of addiction is connection, because that is what we are missing as a society."
Rob Korobkin, owner / operator of Courage House shares frustrations of having "lost the war on drugs"... but not until there is a cease fire..." Also, a discussion of the "Good Grid" software tool
arah Coupe, Pres. of "MARR," Maine Association of Recovery Residences, explains her role as having "lived experiences..." w/ lots of Choices"..in her work as founding dir. of Grace House for women...", setting a higher standard to empower." Also, Brittany Fearon, Assistant Program Manager, "MARR" & Ronald Springel MD: Program Manager of MARR.
Bruce Noddin, Dir. of Maine Prison Reintry Network is again the leader of this meeting of the Greater Portland Transformation Project.
"House Tour"... Sean Crothers takes Isaac on a walking tour of Courage House from the basement to the Cupolla.
Rob Korobkin and Sean Crothers give a synopsis of how "Courage House" came to be, and how some of the "townspeople" were dropping by with "pitchforks and torches." The mansion at 24 School St. has always existed as a single -family unit /"boarding house" for as long as anyone can recall..
part 2- RecentIy the Greater Portland Transformation Project ,an arm of the Maine Prisoner Re-Entry Network, held a stakeholders meeting at the "Cafe," located on Main St., Westbrook, ME. I welcome you to listen in to Rick Haywood of ProTech Solutions, Kim Ward of the United Way, as well as a case manager from the Maine Correctional Center. Thank you for tuning in to Voices from the Other Side!
RecentIy the Greater Portland Transformation Project ,an arm of the Maine Prisoner Re-Entry Network, held a stakeholders meeting at the "Cafe," located on Main St., Westbrook, ME. I welcome you to listen in to Rick Haywood of ProTech Solutions, Kim Ward of the United Way, as well as a case manager from the Maine Correctional Center. Thank you for tuning in to Voices from the Other Side!