Maine State Prison

An inmate rallying for change inside the Maine State Prison in Warren took two other inmates hostage today inside the facility.

There’s another political connection in this case as well – this time dating back to what landed Chasse in prison in the first place. The then-24-year-old Michael Chasse had burglarized the home of Robert Cohen, brother of former Senator and Defense Secretary William Cohen. During his trial he escaped, stabbing two officers in the process.

Michael Chasse, now serving 40 years, spoke with PolitickerME.com and other members of the Maine media May 21 during a voter registration drive inside the prison.

Then he said he was leading an effort to register 150 inmates to vote so they can petition for improvements in the Department of Corrections and bring back parole in the state.

At 2:30 p.m. a spokesman for Gov. John Baldacci sent out an e-mail advising the press of a “very serious” hostage situation at the prison. DOC officials, the Maine State Police and hostage negotiators were dispatched.

Michael Parker has been on a voter registration drive for three years.

The magic number is 150, the number of registered voters required to petition the state for departmental rule changes. Up until this year, interest has been sparse.

Wednesday that changed, when about 200 inmates at the Maine State Prison registered to vote. Many of them had not been registered before. The Warren prison holds just under 1,000 inmates.

Maine is one of two states that allows the incarcerated to vote, along with Vermont.

About 200 Maine State Prison inmates registered to vote Wednesday at a program organized by the Portland NAACP. Click here for more on the event.

The inmates stand out from other voters in that corrections reform is a top concern. Beyond that, their priorities are similar to most Americans. They care about health care, the Iraq War and the economy.

Charles Jones of Portland is serving a 70-year sentence for murder. He’s a former vice president of the prison’s NAACP branch. He follows politics closely, eyeing candidates who support rehabilitation programs as a means of reducing recidivism.