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Hospice: finally happening in Michigan prisons!

Hospice was on my mind a lot in the early 2000s. Number one, my wife Marcia had been a certified hospice nurse for 2 decades. Number two, my full-time job was leading and running HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS, and there were numerous shameful stories about death and dying.   I felt the need for genuine hospice programs in our state prisons and wanted to do something about it.   I hosted a town meeting on the topic in Grand Haven with a panel of experts. I then went a step further by conferring with Hospice of Michigan. I and HOM representatives made a presentation to the top brass at the Michigan Department of Corrections. We felt it was an offer for help that the state could not reject. We were wrong. We were told that the prison system’s hospice-type program called CHOICES was more than adequate (it wasn’t!). That’s an acronym: It stands for Choose, Health Options, Initiate Care, and Educate Self. The message to our team was clear: thanks but no, thanks.   I provide all ...
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Free at last!

  The year: 2004   The scene: A tiny examination room in the Michigan prison hospital in Jackson   The occupants: Michigan Parole Board Chair, Maurice Carter and Doug Tjapkes   The event: A Parole board interview/hearing   Parole Board Chair Rubitschun : “If I told you that you could walk out of here right now as a free man would you confess to the crime of shooting officer Tom Schadler?”   Maurice Carter, #145902 : “I would never confess to something I didn’t do!”   I was there as Maurice’s rep. The room was filled with so much medical equipment I was forced to stand. I had been at Maurice’s side since the mid-1990s fighting for his freedom. He had served 29 years for a crime that he did not commit. A team of attorneys and Innocence Projects was making little headway in seeking exoneration, and then came a medical emergency. Maurice was rushed to a nearby hospital in Lapeer where it was determined that he was suffering from Hepatitis C/end...
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What I shoulda said

The older I get (I’m approaching 90!) the more I think, following my comments at an event, what I should have said. For example, I was a member of a panel at the Wealthy Theater in Grand Rapids last weekend for the Can Film Festival’s screening of WRONGED: THE MAURICE CARTER STORY.   After hearing about wrongful convictions and shortcomings of our judicial system, I was asked: “What can we (the public) do?”   I had to think quickly, so I responded by advising everyone to express their opinions at the polls. Michigan lawmakers have been reluctant to take any action on issues that could bring about change. Later I got to thinking about how I could have elaborated.   Local   -Prosecutors are elected. Choose one who is open to alternative sentencing, who doesn’t press for quick plea deals to avoid trial, and who doesn’t oppose the supreme court’s order to resentence juvenile offenders having life sentences with no parole. -When you hear and read about police of...
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WHV whistleblowers blow the whistle!

Michigan’s only prison for women has drawn a lot of attention recently. Family members, observers and even state lawmakers have called for the resignation of   MDOC Director Heidi Washington following 4 recent deaths at the facility. As a result of these pressures, reported almost daily in the media, the warden of Women’s Huron Valley (WHV) took a leave of absence and the MDOC Director actually moved her office into the Ypsilanti facility for a while.   Despite all of that, a couple of whistleblowers tell HFP things haven’t really changed all that much.   On the subject of retaliation: - “ Many of the women here are scared to speak up due to the retaliation becoming worse and worse. The director may have walked off, but nothing has gotten better. Many of our voices are being silenced due to fear. Just because we did wrong, does not mean we deserve to be treated this way!” - “If I make any suggestions or try to help I am cussed out or shoved out of the programs.” ...
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Can we do more for kids with parents in prison? YES!

Many of us (especially parents) involved in prisoner advocacy actually grieve on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day! Occupants of our prisons are no different than you and me. Those holidays are special for us, and incarcerated men and women wish it could be special for them, also. It’s not.   Shortly after Father’s Day, 2026, (which I was blessed to observe with kids, grandkids and 2 great grandkids!) I came upon a program in California that has promise. I’d like to see it get started it Michigan.   It all began 26 years ago when a group of Catholic sisters and laywomen made visits to a couple of women’s prisons in California. One heartbreaking theme emerged repeatedly: "We never see our children."   So, they did something about it! The program is called “Get on the bus.”   “Get on the Bus” brings children and their caregivers from throughout the State of California to visit their mothers and fathers in prison. This statewide prison visiting program trains and e...
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Medical copay in Michigan prisons? Nonsense!

Insisting that residents of Michigan’s prisons come up with a copay before they can receive medical or dental help just doesn't make sense!   If you live in any one of the state prisons in Michigan you must cough up $5 before you can see a medical specialist in healthcare. On the surface that doesn’t seem like much. But, you must factor in prison wages for those who are fortunate enough to get a job. The pay scale is likely to be in the area of 70 cents an hour.   Now consider how rotten the food program is in our prisons…bad food and small portions. So, that prompts those who live behind bars to use the vending machines and microwave ovens. When they have only a few bucks to spend, and the choice is between food or medical care, guess which one wins!   I’m bringing this up, once again, because I just saw a note that said the MDOC collected more than $126,000 in medical and dental copays during the 2025 fiscal year. The MDOC annual budget exceeds $2.1 billion! That...
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Father’s Day thoughts from behind bars

Every Father’s Day, when I’m treated royally by kids, grandkids, and great grandkids, my mind goes to those grandpas, dads and sons who are behind bars. For them, there’s no frivolity, no celebration today.   Some years ago, in honor of Father’s Day, the CAN-DO Foundation collected a series of quotes, reflections, stories and insights from numerous men inside prison who will not participate in the normal festivities that most of us will enjoy today. I share a few.   Craig: “Fourteen years before my arrest, I realized an instinct I never considered when I looked into the eyes of a seven-pound newborn, not much bigger than a loaf of bread. She reached out to me for everything, and it was my honor to deliver. Following my arrest, I failed to show for the graduation ceremony, the Father/Daughter Dance, and to mean-mug the first date.”   Michael: “I was so certain that I was going to receive clemency that I gave away all my art supplies and brushes. My father was very ...
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