Humanity for Prisoners

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 ...

August marks the 25 th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the fourth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.     I have no idea how Joyce obtained my home telephone number, but she did…and she called me.   An elderly Black woman living on fixed income and battling cancer, I had never met Joyce. But, she knew about Humanity for Prisoners, she found my personal telephone number and she was begging for help.   Joyce explained that she had a son in prison who was experiencing serious mental issues. She feared that he might try to take his own life and she asked if we could not only check on him, but perhaps even find some help for him.   My immediate response was, “Why don’t you visit him, yourself? A chat with his mother would certainly be best!” And that’s when I learned of a bigger problem. Her reply: “I’m not allowed to visit him!”   Long story short…she has not one, but two sons in prison, and she hadn’t been allowed to...

August marks the 25 th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the third in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   I’m not sure how it all began. In the earlier days of HFP I was invited to numerous Michigan prisons to hold workshops, give speeches and answer questions. Having made several visits to Women’s Huron Valley (WHV) I learned that a group of women were crocheting for charity. Their wonderful products were going to various shelters for women.   Later, I was surprised to discover that many men had taken up crocheting! These guys discovered, as well, that such an activity was not only a good use of time but also an excellent way to do something for others. For example, a veterans’ group in one of the facilities was making stacks of coats, hats and scarves for indigent and homeless vets.  We shared photos in our newsletter. BUT, there was a common supply problem. These projects were invariably hampered by a lack of yarn, something the state...

August, 2026, marks the 25 th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the second in a series of reflections essays by founder Doug Tjapkes.   It was a typical Michigan winter day. Latitia, a young single mother from Benton Harbor, was being released from Women’s Huron Valley, our state’s only prison for women, located in Ypsilanti.   A prison van delivered Latitia to the Greyhound station in Ann Arbor where she would board a bus for the ride to her hometown. The moment she stepped out of the van it was gone. She stood alone on the curb with no coat, no boots and no way to stay warm. Then things turned from bad to worse. The ticket agent informed her that, due to blizzard conditions, her bus trip to Benton Harbor had been canceled.   Where to go? What to do?   Latitia spotted a nearby shelter for women. It was there that she found heat and a telephone. She could remember only one telephone number: that of Humanity for Prisoners.   Laticia was ...