Concord Prison Outreach

Registration for this training is closing soon. Please sign up using QR code option below or contact us at 978-369-1430 or www.concordprisonoutreach.org

We are inspired by the generosity of our community. It’s an honor to be the recipients of grant funding from the following organizations:

Concord-Carlisle Community Chest
New Commonwealth Fund
Metrowest Women's Fund
Cambridge Savings Bank
The Boston Foundation
Freedom's Way National Heritage Area

We are so grateful for the support!

2024 Grantee Partner Concord Prison Outreach facilitates a restorative justice program for women incarcerated at MCI-Framingham prison. Women who participate in educational programs such as this are better equipped to reintegrate into society successfully.

Restorative justice programming benefits survivors of abuse with a survivor-centered approach.

As we approach the new school year, we are excited to announce our annual Back-to-School Backpack Drive, in partnership with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office.

This initiative aims to provide essential educational materials to families impacted by incarceration at the Middlesex House of Correction and Jail in Billerica, MA.

Amazon Wishlist Here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2W6CGHH2ZR0BZ?ref_=wl_share

In addition to this program, Concord Prison Outreach offers our Read to Me, Dad/Read to Me Mom program at the Billerica House of Correction. This program helps bridge the parent-child connection by allowing incarcerated parents to record themselves reading books to their children, fostering a sense of closeness and support despite the physical separation.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our mission. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of these families.

CPO staff Sam Williams just finished training our second cohort of Restorative Justice Facilitators. 16 hours of intense learning, experimental circle keeping and story telling. Keep an eye out for our next restorative justice facilitator training scheduled for the fall. I would like to thank the West Concord Union Church for hosting this training🙏🏽❤️🙏🏽❤️

Show your support for CPO today!

We need your support... With your help last year, we were able to successfully meet our ambitious annual budget goals which allowed us to offer even more programs and services to incarcerated individuals throughout Massachusetts. We make a great team!

Concord Prison Outreach's Executive Director, Sam Williams, was highlighted in Boston University's article, "BU Marks 50 Years of Changing Lives Behind Bars," where he commented on the impact of Elizabeth Barker, the late community organizer and poet who instructed students at MCI-Norfolk in the early 1970s.

Williams earned a Bachelor of Liberal Studies degree through the program while incarcerated at Norfolk. “She believed in us back then, when, at least for me, I didn’t believe in myself, and I couldn’t see what the future was going to look like.”

Read the full article here:

BU Marks 50 Years of Changing Lives behind Bars Prison Education Program feted at milestone anniversary event

Family events organized by the B.R.A.V.E. Unit and Prison Outreach strengthen family connections, build bridges, and break down barriers. Recently, families were able to paint, search for eggs, and received gift baskets with items chosen by their incarcerated loved one. Thank you to the B.R.A.V.E Unit staff and Concord Prison Outreach for facilitating another family event.

Wishing Ellen Garrison a Happy Birthday. Awesome event yesterday at the Concord Armory…

Boston University Prison Outreach Initiative presents "Beyond the System: Justice, Education, & Art." This event features a speaking panel discussion with Concord Prison Outreach Executive Director, Sam Williams, alongside guest panelists Yusuf Dahl and 2RUTH7. Together, they will delve into topics including housing, justice, prison education, and artistic rehabilitation.

Admission is free! Register here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bu-prison-outreach-speaker-panel-2024-tickets-836054089287?aff=oddtdtcreator

Please join us in a discussion on how body-based work in prison is impacting the minds and bodies of those incacerated (see flyer below)

Give now!

https://concordprisonoutreach.org/donate/

Important Update: Embracing Change and Expanding Horizons

We are reaching out to share an important update regarding our organization, Concord Prison Outreach (CPO), which has been dedicated to prison outreach for over 50 years. As you may be aware, the Massachusetts Department of Correction recently announced the closure of the MCI-Concord facility, which has been integral to our founding and operations.

This decision marks a significant moment in CPO’s history. While it presents a challenge, it also opens the door to new opportunities. We see this as a pivotal moment to rethink, rebrand, and expand our mission to make an even greater impact across the state. CPO currently offers programs in 7 other DOC locations, so we are well prepared to shift and expand some of our work geographically. Our commitment to supporting incarcerated individuals and promoting positive change within the correctional system remains steadfast.

Please be assured that all existing projects and commitments will continue as planned, with the same dedication and quality you have always trusted us to deliver. Additionally, we are exploring new avenues to expand our reach and impact, adapting to our state's changing prison landscape.

We are immensely grateful for the unwavering support and trust you have placed in us over the years. Your contributions have been the cornerstone of our ability to make a difference. As we embark on this new chapter, we invite you to join us in this journey of growth and transformation.

On Thursday, February 8, 2024, from 6:30-8 pm, we will host a Zoom meeting to discuss these changes in more detail and hear your thoughts and suggestions. Your input is valuable to us as we navigate this transition. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUqcuCtqTkpG9IGmcYKHRBwonwDd0h2Mpeo #/registration

Thank you for being a part of our story. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those affected by the criminal justice system.

Sincerely,
Sam Williams
Executive Director
Concord Prison Outreach

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: Concord Prison Outreach Community Discussion. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Join us in discussing important changes for Concord Prison Outreach and share your thoughts and suggestions as we look forward to the months ahead.

❤️ We are so proud of the Holiday Gift Bag program. Thanks to all who supported us in 2023.

We would like to thank Concord Prison Outreach (CPO) for their support with last years Gift Bag Program. CPO has been a long time partner with the DOC supporting many volunteer led programs. Volunteers play an important role in all aspects of reentry and faith based programs.

Give now: https://concordprisonoutreach.org/donate/

There is still time to make your year-end gift to support our important work!

DONATE Sponsor a holiday gift bag! Sponsor a gift bag Help make a meaningful difference this holiday season by sponsoring a Holiday Gift Bag filled with essential hygiene products

There is still time to make an end-of-calendar year gift to support our programs and services.

Visit https://concordprisonoutreach.org/donate/

Thank you for being a part of our community. ❤️

Support us now, or tomorrow on Giving Tuesday!

https://concordprisonoutreach.org/donate/

Last month at MCI-Concord, the B.R.A.V.E. Unit held a second anniversary event and family engagement day. The B.R.A.V.E. Unit is a specialized unit that helps develop young emerging adults’ emotional awareness through improved perspective and higher values while providing a community of dignity, accountability, integrity, and respect. Family members were able to celebrate as well as participate in a butterfly release. Thank you to .inc , Concord Prison Outreach , Discovery Museum , and Senator Jamie Eldridge who were able to come and celebrate this huge milestone.

We would like to thank everyone who attended the panel discussion on Humane Incarceration on Nov 6. Panelists discussed ways to improve the health and quality of life of the people incarcerated in the Commonwealth and those preparing for reentry into our communities. The discussion included programs at state prisons and legislative initiatives aimed at achieving these goals.

Panelists included:
Sam Williams—Executive Director Concord Prison Outreach
Simon Cataldo—Mass. State Rep.14th Middlesex District
Priscilla Sousa—Mass. State Rep 6th Middlesex District
Chris Worrell—Mass. State Rep. 5th Suffolk District
Nancy Bettinger—League of Women Voters of Massachusetts & expert on criminal justice systems
The event was organized by Ellen Quakenbush

Concord Prison Outreach, the Concord Free Public Library, and LWVCC sponsored this panel discussion, and the recording of the programming is now available on lcvcc.org.

Concord Prison Outreach Concord Free Public Library State Representative Simon Cataldo

We’d love your support for our Holiday Gift Bag Project!

We need your support! Holiday Gift Bag Make your gift today to bring some light and love to an individual in need. Our cost per bag is $14, and we have an amazing group of volunteers who assemble the materials for us. Please reach out with any questions, and thank you for your continued support! Warmly, Sam Williams...

What a wonderful event tonight! Thank you to those who joined us including Simon Cataldo and Senator Jamie Eldridge.

HOLIDAY GIFT BAG PROJECT HOLIDAY GIFT BAG PROJECT For decades, Concord Prison Outreach has sponsored the Holiday Gift Bag Project, providing a bag of simple, useful gifts to each incarcerated man in Concord’s two state prisons. Each

During the month of September, FPC will share the plate share income with Concord Prison Outreach. Concord Prison Outreach (CPO) is a 501(c)(3) organization composed of individuals and faith communities committed to helping people who are incarcerated build better lives for themselves and their families. CPO works cooperatively with the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC), offering educational programs that focus on skill-building and personal growth, essentials to help support people in prison to achieve success while incarcerated or post-incarceration.

For information about CPO programs and volunteer opportunities, please visit concordprisonoutreach.org. Thank you for your support.

Make your gift today! Thank you.

https://concordprisonoutreach.org/donate/

Concord Prison Outreach was invited to help curate the Finding Hope Within exhibit at the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, by John Vincent from A Revolutionary Press.

Finding Hope Within features art that has emerged through the Carceral system. It combines art made by incarcerated artists in facilities in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Maine—from poetry and other writings to visual art and sculptural pieces—and art made collaboratively between incarcerated artists and non-incarcerated artists on the outside.

Featured in the exhibit is artwork from students at MCI-Shirley and North Central Correctional Institute (NCCI), made possible by Marie LeBlanc of NCCI, Tressa Stazinski of Mount Wachusett Community College, Ellie DiMauro of Concord Prison Outreach, the Education administration at MCI-Shirley and NCCI, and John Vincent of A Revolutionary Press.

Co-curators of the exhibition include Heather Newcomb of Vermont Works for Women, Ashley Messier of Vermont Women’s Justice and Freedom Initiative, Olivia Hochstadt and Jan Collins of Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, Ellie DiMauro of Concord Prison Outreach in Massachusetts, and Laura Carey of the New England Innocence Project.

Finding Hope Within will be on display at the Rokeby Museum now through October 14th, as part of regular admission.

We highly recommend that you take the opportunity to visit the exhibit, as it promises to be a truly enriching experience!

For more information about the exhibit, visit our events page: https://concordprisonoutreach.org/events/

Our fiscal year ends on 9/30 and we still need your support to move us forward.

Your support helps people who are incarcerated build better lives for themselves and their families.

Thank you!

DONATE Show Your Support Today! The generous contributions of our supporting community are essential to meeting our operating needs Our volunteers depend on your support to provide the program materials and services that are so beneficial to our incarcerated neighbors. We appreciate your generosity, and we...

Learn more:

https://concordprisonoutreach.org/2023/06/05/naming-the-unnamed-the-concord-bridge/

We were thrilled to receive funding for this project from Freedom’s Way NHA:

https://freedomsway.org/our-work/

Big news! 🎉🎊❤️

From the Boston Foundation:

“I am pleased to inform you that the Board of Directors of the Boston Foundation has approved a grant in the amount of $50,000.00 to Concord Prison Outreach, Inc. This grant is to be paid in two annual installments of $25,000.00. As the Foundation embarks on a renewed and more focused effort to make a material contribution to addressing some of the critical challenges and opportunities facing Greater Boston’s people and places, we are particularly pleased to invest in an organization whose important work is so closely aligned with the Foundation’s commitment to serving and building power in communities historically excluded from institutional philanthropy.”

We are honored, and excited for the road ahead. Thank you all for your support.