Humanity for Prisoners

August, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the tenth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   It wasn’t long after I started this organization that I learned some hard facts about mental illness in our state prisons. In our early years we had 3 new clients with mental issues. And, as we always do, we jumped in with both feet!   I’ll share brief stories about Arnie, Kevin and Kyle in a moment.   But first, we must talk about this problem.   Mental health issues are highly prevalent in Michigan prisons. Individuals suffering from serious mental illness make up roughly 23% of the total prison population.   That really should be no surprise.  We closed down about three-quarters of our state psychiatric facilities between 1990 and 1998 under Governor John Engler! As you might expect, prison then became a substitute facility for many mentally challenged individuals.   Now about our early clients and t...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the ninth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   I’m a newsman. I love a good story. For HFP, this ranks as one of the very best!   2009, and I’m having lunch with former Grand Rapids Press writer Pat Shellenbarger, who had paired up with me while working on the Maurice Carter case. “I have a letter here that may interest you.” It was in a state prison envelope.   The letter was from Mark Hartman, a businessman from New York State who, like Maurice, claimed wrongful conviction in Berrien County. A friend had handed him a copy of my book SWEET FREEDOM shortly after his arrival at a Muskegon prison. Noticing the many similarities in the Hartman and Carter cases, Mark wanted to contact the author. With no success in reaching me, he reached out to Pat Shellenbarger, a name he had seen in the book.   My office at that time was in Muskegon. So, rather than send a reply I just ...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the eighth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes. Unsung heroes don't seek glory; their virtuous deeds speak louder than any praise!   (anon) I can’t tell you how it all started. Neither can Judy. We think it was around the year 2008, and here’s how she and I think the story began.   Judy VanderArk of Grand Rapids had a heart for prisoners and was helping several incarcerated students of the Crossroad Bible Institute who resided in Michigan prisons. A state prison rule is that you may visit only one person. She wanted to visit more.   I helped her attain clergy status to solve that problem. I was looking for fund raising ideas, and Judy and her husband Pete were the directors of a fine mission training project called MOSES. They knew how to raise money, and they helped me to solve that problem.   Well, whether it was for one of those reasons or both, Judy and I not only conn...

August, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the seventh in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   Michigan has just one prison for women. At any given time some 2,000 women are locked up in that facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This prison, Women’s Huron Valley, has been in the news a lot lately. Much of the disturbing coverage has been due to the fact that 5 persons have died there since mid-May. This has lawmakers, prisoner advocates and even editorial writers demanding improvements in what has been labelled “health care neglect.”   As I read one of the most recent articles on the topic in the Detroit News this week I was reminded that Michigan’s shameful treatment of women has been a subject of concern for us from day one. Our care, our concern and our actions have drawn the love and respect of those behind bars in Ypsi.   As I look back on our many experiences, our wonderful bond with the women of HFP is no surprise. I...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the sixth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   John Smietanka: At the beginning, a bitter enemy.   Every time I heard the name John Smietanka it was in negative comments from my friend Maurice Carter. Maurice had been arrested, prosecuted and convicted of a crime he did not commit back in the 70s in Berrien County. The prosecutor at that time was John Smietanka. The case was handled by one of his assistants. However, he was considered the enemy by Maurice and all of us in the committee seeking to free him.   Fast forward 30 years. As the founder and sole employee of HFP, I was getting badgered by one of our new clients. He insisted that I discuss his case with attorney John Smietanka, who had an office in Grandville. This guy had been wrongly convicted in Kent County and had heard about a high-profile wrongful conviction case that John had won. Remembering Maurice, I resist...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the fifth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   Oh, the irony of it!   My friend Andre’ Nelson, now 55 years of age, has been fighting well over 30 years trying to prove that he did not murder anyone.   Andre’ was one of our very early clients after I formed the organization in 2001. At that time our agency’s name was INNOCENT, and so we obviously caught the attention of men and women behind bars who claimed wrongful conviction. Andre had been convicted of a 1993 murder that he claims he knew nothing about, after only 1 hour of deliberation by a jury!   This was a unique case in that the alleged justice system in Detroit shamefully took advantage of a young man with a low IQ. Following a personal visit with Andre’ in the early 2000s he and I became special friends. The more II learned about his case the more upset I became.   I know that he could not read well ...