Long Creek Youth Development Center in South Portland, Maine’s only juvenile correctional facility, will be spending nearly $30,000 to purchase audio equipment for juvenile offenders to be taught poetry and rap music, a recent disclosure showed.
According to a Procurement Justification Form (PJF) published on Thursday, the Maine Department of Corrections (DOC) is entering into a $29,000 no-bid contract with Pennsylvania-based company Creative Hope Studios to purchase music and audio equipment.
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Creative Hope Studios’ website states that they are a “renowned organization that harnesses the power of hip-hop culture and creative arts to engage and inspire youth in the juvenile justice system and schools that serve at-risk students.”
According to the DOC, Creative Hope Studios is “the only company in the United States that offers a comprehensive program designed specifically for the juvenile justice system.”
“Their unique blend of services and their focus on sustainability and cultural relevance makes Creative Hope Studios the premier choice for facilities looking to implement a transformative program for their youth,” the department wrote.
The $29,000 no-bid contract will pay for the installation of the audio equipment at Long Creek’s Arthur R. Gould School, the youth correctional facility’s accredited diploma-granting high school.
The contract will be paid for by federal Department of Education grants.
“The Arthur R (AR) Gould School, located at Long Creek Youth Development Center, is in need of installation of programming and equipment, as well as training of staff to allow youth the opportunity for audio production, music engineering, videography, video editing, podcasting, and graphic design,” the DOC wrote in their PJF.
“By creating this space youth will have a safe place to be creative and be self-expressive,
while additionally creating and encouraging positive relationship building, teaching youth about career options and employable skills such as poetry, rapping, etc., and teaching youth life skills such as respect, teamwork, and self-awareness,” they wrote.
