Mainebiz

V O L . X X X I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 2 6 22 ainebiz: Why did you go to jail? Joseph Jackson: is is a ques- tion that lives at the heart of my work. My criminal history dates back nearly 40 years and is still a matter of public record. Legalized discrimination played a role in my incarceration, as it does for many others: One in five Mainers has been impacted by the criminal legal sys- tem. Having gone to jail and prison pro- vided me with the lived experience that informs the advocacy work I do today. MB: What were the circumstances of the crime, and do you feel you were justly convicted? JJ: I was young, gullible and under- educated. I was also unemployed, living in poverty and addicted to cocaine. I was Black in Maine, and as such, the only person of color in the courtroom. Circumstances being what they were, I do not feel I was judged by a jury of my peers. P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Fighting the good fight Nonprofit leader Joseph Jackson is a champion of prison reform in Maine B Y R E N E E C O R D E S Joseph Jackson, born and raised on farmland in Tyler, Texas, is a former convicted criminal and prison reform advo- cate who founded the Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition in 2007 to improve conditions for in- carcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, survivors of harm and others who have been wronged by the criminal legal system. Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition maineprisoneradvocacy.org P.O. Box 445, Lisbon What it does: 501(c)3 nonprofit that aims to improve conditions for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals, their families and others harmed by the criminal legal system. Founded: 2007 Funding sources: 75% from private grants, 20% from individual donors, 5% from consulting fees. Employees: 11 M BREAKING BARRIERS Joseph Jackson Executive director, Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition

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