Location: Mitchell Room, 17 School Street, Castine
Reservations: Encouraged as space is limited

Sensitivity Warning: The performance discusses mature topics and includes adult language that may not be suitable for all audiences.

What do we mean when we talk about justice and accountability?

Does our current criminal legal system keep us safe?

How can we respond to harm that better meets the needs of our communities?

These questions propel Freedom & Captivity’s latest project It’s Hard to Talk About: Stories of Incarceration in Maine.

Join us at the Castine Historical Society on Sunday, November 9, at 1 pm in the Mitchell Room at the CHS for this powerful event!

In this event, five justice-impacted storytellers will perform narratives from individuals who are currently or formerly incarcerated, as well as their friends and family, and other people affected by and working in and around the criminal legal system. This powerful performance seeks to bridge the gap between those on the “inside” and “outside,” challenging oversimplified public narratives about crime and punishment by highlighting paths of transformation and growth.

Maine is unique for having some of the harshest sentencing practices in the entire country. Research shows, the majority of people held in Maine’s prisons and jails have experienced major life traumas and struggle with substance use disorder, mental health challenges, poverty, and low educational levels.

Since 2024, the Freedom & Captivity Initiative, in collaboration with the Maine Historical Society and Colby College Digital Archives, has been building Maine’s first archive dedicated to the experiences, insights, knowledge, and untold stories of Maine’s incarcerated and formerly incarcerated community members.

Join us for the free event. The performance runs 45-minutes, followed by a 30-minute Q&A and community conversation.

About Freedom & Captivity:

Founded in 2021, Freedom & Captivity was created to open community spaces for collectively envisioning alternatives to incarceration. The initiative aims to ensure that those with direct experience of the criminal legal system are the ones shaping new narratives about how to keep communities safe and initiate pathways of repair and restoration in the wake of harm. Learn more at www.freedom-captivity.org.

Registration is encouraged as space is limited.