Reentry Programming
BFS programs with residents at the MCRRC foster social connection and mutual respect through instrumental music lessons and contra dances.
The Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center (MCRRC) is a residential center designed to give incarcerated men the skills and experience they need to live successfully as citizens and employees after they transition into their home communities.
The Reentry Center programs are funded through the BFS Annual Appeal, individual donors, and grants from the Maine Community Foundation. Contact BFS Director Chrissy Fowler to get involved or donate instruments.
[Name] has been just great. He’s very grateful for what we accomplished, which was mostly how to fit in and play with others. He has opportunities to play with his mother’s boyfriend and others around the “campfire,” and is really excited to get out [in 3 days] and show off some of his brand new skills (…). I taught him how to know what key he’s playing in, and the different types of scales that fit with different types of music. We did some hard jamming. I’d bring my battery powered amp, pass the cord through the fence and plug him in and test him on key, style, and how to fit in. The guys out in the yard would hoot and support him, or grab a metal bucket and play some percussion.
“I had to step a little out of my comfort zone, but it was so fun and energetic that I smiled the whole time.”
— Dancer at the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center
Support our reentry programming
- Make a donation via our Support page
- Encourage others to donate (clubs, businesses, religious institutions, organizations, friends)
- Donate instruments (contact [email protected])
- Support restorative approaches by spreading the word and building public and policy support for programs like the MCRRC and Restorative Justice Project
“[Taking BFS music lessons] has been a life changing experience for me. The discovery of musical expression has changed my very being. It is my number one way to cope with stress and anxiety. It has also played a huge role in my recovery.”
— Resident at the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center