Michelle Markie is a sexual assault forensic examiner and registered nurse at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor. She is one of two certified SAFE nurses at the hospital, a certification requiring a 40-hour class, hours of observation, ongoing education and practice administering rape kits. A rape kit, officially known as a Maine State Sex Crimes […]
Tag Archives: News Reports
Dover-Foxcroft police design child-centered sexual violence interview room
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusSexual violence is traumatic for anyone, but especially for children, who may not understand what happened to them or that they are a victim. As such, advocates argue that interviewing a child multiple times can cause undue stress and should be avoided. Gretchen Ziemer, an advocate with Rape Response Services in Bangor, said officials often […]
An ad to reach abused children that only children can see
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusA Spanish organization called the Aid to Children and Adolescents at Risk Foundation created an advertisement that shows different messages simultaneously for adults and children. It’s designed to reach children if their abuser is walking or standing next to them. Anyone who is taller than 4 feet, 5 inches, will see an image of a […]
Featuring the Shepherd’s Godparent Home’s newest project
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusIn January, reporter Alex Barber spent a day at the Shepherd’s Godparent Home in Bangor profiling a new project the organization had unveiled to help young mothers after their babies are born. Women were allowed to stay in the godparent home in Bangor until they gave birth but then are asked to find alternative housing. […]
“I was stuck … I had nowhere to go”
Domestic and Sexual Violence Maine FocusIn January, reporter Alex Barber spent a day at the Shepherd’s Godparent Home in Bangor profiling a new project the organization had unveiled to help young mothers after their babies are born. Women were allowed to stay in the godparent home in Bangor until they gave birth but then are asked to find alternative housing. […]
From north to south: Economic and jobs disparity across Maine
Growing Maine's Economy Maine FocusMuch has been made lately of Maine’s skills gap — the chasm between what skills and knowledge workers have and what employers need. Gov. Paul LePage has made closing this gap a high priority. This work is complicated by the fact that the gap — and its causes and consequences — varies widely across the […]
Following the evidence: How Maine investigates crimes
Drug Abuse Maine FocusWhen we started the Maine Focus projects, we knew we wanted our work to extend beyond more traditional reporting. Our work needed to include longer-form, explanatory pieces as well. We feel these stories not only help educate the community about the three Maine Focus issues but can help identify tangible solutions as well. Reporter Nok-Noi […]
A model for drug rehabilitation in Maine: The CARA Project
Drug Abuse Maine FocusPhotographer Carter McCall recently spent more than a month capturing images and video of participants of the Kennebec County Jail’s Criminogenic Addiction Recovery Academy program. CARA, as the program is more often called, was started in 2010 and is a 5.5 week program that focuses on group therapy and skill building. Most participants are at […]
Cumberland County’s got it, but how can rural Maine build a workforce to attract business?
Growing Maine's Economy Maine FocusMuch has been made lately of Maine’s skills gap — the chasm between what skills and knowledge workers have and what employers need. Gov. Paul LePage has made closing this gap a high priority. This work is complicated by the fact that the gap — and its causes and consequences — varies widely across the state. Consider […]