AUGUSTA, Maine — Dozens of people attended an annual summit and discussion hosted by the Maine Department of Corrections designed to empower women working in historically male-dominated fields.
"Corrections is a very male-dominated field. We’ve got approximately 1,100 employees, and out of that there’s only about 339 females," Director of Adult Community Corrections Susan Gagnon said.
The event Friday was held at Jewett Hall on the University of Maine at Augusta campus.
The Women’s Leadership Summit debuted four years ago in an effort to start a conversation about recruitment in the field and to empower women already working within the department.
After growing in size over the past three years, this year’s summit expanded the invite to women from other state agencies and neighboring corrections departments across New England.
"Where are you going to find this many women who are empowered and working together for one goal?" MDOC Human Resources Manager Michelle Senence said at the event.
Attendees Friday heard from several key speakers, including Shenna Bellows, who is the first woman to serve as Maine secretary of state, and Brig. Gen. Diane Dunn, who is the first woman to lead the Maine National Guard.
Speakers touched on this year’s convention theme, Strength in Connections and Investing in Relationships, and they highlighted the importance of mentorship.
Director of Women’s Services Amanda Woolford said she plans to take the lessons she learned at the summit back to the women she mentors who are incarcerated.
"When women know that somebody believes in them, I mean, it’s just a game-changer," Woolford said. "It’s that mentoring these folks into making better decisions [and] learning new skills so that they don’t come back into our system and to keep moving those recidivism numbers down."
The event is hosted by the Maine Department of Corrections' Women's Leadership Steering Committee.