News & Commentary

The film "Obvious Child" is coming to Maine this week. Writer and director Gillian Robespierre’s  “abortion rom-com” was released in limited cities at the beginning of June. The film’s major roll out is happening at the end of this week – Friday, June 27th. Reviewers have already been praising the film, calling it hilarious, honest, and refreshing.

A shocking new study finds that people who have spent time in the juvenile justice system are more likely to die violently than their peers who have not been involved in the system.

Last weekend, I spent a substantial amount of time binge watching the new season of Orange is the New Black. While the show puts a somewhat comical spin on the issues of life inside a women’s prison, it also has been a reminder for me of the unique challenges women face while incarcerated. Women are the fastest growing prisoner population in the country. Even here in Maine, between 2001-2013 there was a 624% increase in the number of women incarcerated in Maine state prisons.

This Saturday marks the first official day of summer, and what better way to celebrate than by marching with us through the streets of Portland for the city’s annual Pride Parade? We hope you can join us to show your support, but if not, don’t fear: this won’t be the only time you can connect with us this summer.

Each Friday, we’ll bring you updates on the latest civil liberties news from Maine and the nation.

Our partner profiles highlight the broad range of individuals and organizations we work with to advance and protect the rights of all people in Maine.

Since the early 1980s Vincent Rue, originator of the concept “post-abortion syndrome,” has been spreading myths and misinformation about the connections between mental health and abortion. Back in 2004, Vincent Rue and Priscilla Coleman collaborated on an article arguing that “for some women, abortion is a traumatic stressor capable of causing PTSD symptoms.” They suggest that this is “beyond politics” and that abortion’s connection to post traumatic stress disorder is an “increasing public health concern.” In fact, post-abortion syndrome is not recognized by either the American Psychological Association or the American Psychiatric Association. 

Over the past year, I have blogged quite a bit about the consequences of mass incarceration for those in prison – they are separated from their communities, locked away under terrible conditions of confinement, and, upon release, subjected to legalized discrimination and denied basic constitutional protections - making it all the more likely they will someday be sent back to prison. However, what I have focused less on are the consequences for the family members of those incarcerated – those who are left behind when someone is sent away.