RJP Maine is excited to announce that Kyle White, a former resident of the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center (MCRRC), has joined the team at RJP Maine. Kyle was accepted into the Goodwill Industries Job Training Program this past October, while finishing his residency at the MCRRC. The job training program provides opportunities to learn new job skills with support from Goodwill Workforce Solutions. This opportunity will help Kyle transition into a Vista Volunteer position at the beginning of December. Both programs are offered by Goodwill Industries of Northern New England (GWI-NNE). We are thrilled to have Kyle onboard!- RJP Maine Hello folks,
My name is Kyle White and I am pleased and excited to be working with RJP Maine this fall. I am just finishing up an 18-month sentence at the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center, which is where my passion for RJP Maine originated. Starting in 2018, with a strong repairing- the- harm circle, I became more deeply moved by the healing circle process. Through the experience of rebuilding a relationship with my grandfather that I thought would never be restored, I realized how powerful the restorative process was, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it going forward. A year later, I had the opportunity to co-facilitate the Introduction to Restorative Justice course with Louise at the re-entry center! I greatly enjoyed teaching and being so involved with my fellow residents from the reentry center. I left the course hopeful to have inspired the guys to repair harms they might have made in their own lives. I have also been a part of other restorative conferences within the Juvenile diversion program. All of these experiences have taught me so much and I look forward to becoming more involved with the process. I would like to use my experiences with the criminal justice system, together with my experiences with addiction and recovery to help others in their journey; moving beyond incarceration, poverty and addiction towards freedom, community and recovery. I hope to become an apprentice facilitator in the near future, and eventually a facilitator. I would like to be involved with implementing Restorative Justice and Restorative Practices in schools, as well as becoming involved with youth being released from Long Creek Youth Development Center. I would like to assist adults being released from reentry and from other Department of Corrections facilities in general. I look forward to being part of the creation of the Waldo County Community Justice Center as it engages communities across Waldo County. On a personal note, I am 28 years-old, born and raised in the Belfast, Waldo County area, and graduated from Belfast Area High School. I have been painting houses most of my adult life, as well as welding. Currently I am enjoying my part time job with Pinkerton and Sons Disposal. Riding on the truck and throwing trash is actually a blast! I enjoy four wheeling, snowmobiling, driving, walks/runs outside, preferably with a dog, enjoy my time in the gym, hanging out with friends and family and reading. I enjoy working and keeping busy! I’m grateful to be working with the Restorative Justice Project Maine I’m hoping that this new path will help me continue on my recovery path and reentry. With over a year in recovery, I hope I can support others I interact with to continue moving forward.
9 Comments
Anne J Feeley
11/23/2020 12:52:56 pm
Best of luck to you, Kyle.
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Pamela Corcoran
11/23/2020 01:36:41 pm
Congratulations to Kyle, RJP and Goodwill NNE. Being a VISTA will help our community build resilience and offer folks bridges to move out of the despair of poverty.
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Ed Modell
11/23/2020 02:06:32 pm
I’m delighted that Kyle is working with us at RJPM. Kyle was a community member participant at a conference that I co-facilitated a few months ago and his perspective and comments were invaluable. I really look forward to many more opportunities to work with Kyle.
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Deborah Katherine Hensley
11/23/2020 04:17:11 pm
Wonderful news! Congratulations Kyle!
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Kay Dodd
11/23/2020 06:46:52 pm
Congratulations Kyle! We are all very proud of you!
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Matthew Lucas Ayotte
11/24/2020 05:05:06 am
Congratulations Kyle...it is inspiring to see someone who has been deeply impacted by the experience of having been incarcerated come full circle and engage in giving back to the community. I, too, have walked a similar road and have been blessed to awaken to the fulfillment of using my own past struggles to uplift and encourage others who are transitioning from correctional settings back into community. My experiences as a peer facilitator at the Maine State Prison as a meditation and yoga instructor, as well as leading a cognitive behavioral therapy class known as The Psychology of Incarceration, gave me the opportunity to step into a role I was able to work with the hearts and minds of my fellows, Inna way that was truly rewarding, sometimes even overwhelming on account of the growth and connection that transpired. For me, the experience of attaining my degree and the interaction with staff, as well as professors from UMA gave me back my sense of worth and dignity. I found that empowerment is key to addressing old attitudes and behaviors, so as to create a clear space to move forward. I am proud of you for the work and commitment you are giving to this much needed effort to break the cycles of heartache and suffering that is so pervasive within the system of corrections. I applaud your efforts and am inspired to continue upon my own journey to engage in advocacy for criminal justice reform and working with marginalized populations like the homeless and mentally ill, as well as individuals who have been incarcerated. Currently I am at the Pharos House, a federal halfway house, where I am reintegrating back into the community. I am re-enrolling at UMA and working to engage in orginizations that are actively working to implement better practices to bring healing to our communities. Perhaps we will both find ourselves working on similar initiatives...it is hopeful that from the inside out a change is gonna come. Congratulations... peace and blessings 🙏
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Michelle Moschkau
11/24/2020 02:40:39 pm
RJP is lucky to have you! Glad to know you are doing wonderful things to help the community. Best wishes for your ongoing happiness!
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Mike Willard
1/20/2021 08:29:39 am
Congratulation Kyle, I'm very proud of the of the person you have become. You're a good person doing great work. I wish you continued success and happiness in life.
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