Simple problems aren't all that simple behind bars!


Under normal circumstances, it would take just a few minutes to solve problems like this.

1.    I have ants in my bedroom.
2.    I need the copy of a report from our County Prosecutor’s Office.
3.    I have a medical condition that demands that I wear tinted eye-glasses.
4.    I need the latest info on how PTSD affects behavior

The solutions are as easy as

-Calling the exterminator
-Filing a request under the Freedom of Information Act
-Getting a prescription from your ophthalmologist
-Going online and Googling the topic.

Easy, that is, unless you’re behind bars.

I list these four simple examples in response to this question that we hear so often: Just what does HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS do? These are the types of issues our HFP team members tackle 7 days a week, as they seek to provide practical assistance to Michigan prisoners who have very real, everyday needs.

Ann’s cell was filled with ants. She wondered if she was sleeping on an ant’s nest. No one would listen. She complained to a friend. A friend contacted HFP.

Anthony is indigent and is preparing his own defense, working in the prison law library every day. There are some documents critical to his case, BUT, Michigan inmates are not allowed to file FOIA requests. It’s a service that HFP provides.

Gary has a medical condition that demands that he wear tinted glasses. The Michigan Department of Corrections doesn’t believe him, and keeps stonewalling the order for dark lenses. HFP has a noted ophthalmologist on its team of professionals to help in situations like this.

Jan is convinced that studies have provided a lot of new information on how post-traumatic stress disorder affects behavior, which could enhance her appeals. But, she’s not allowed to go on-line. HFP has volunteers willing to find material like this and print copies for prisoners.

We’re here to help, believing that all prisoners deserve to be treated with humanity, kindness and dignity. And when they or their friends or relatives contact the office of HFP, no request is ignored or denied.

In a report to our Board of Directors, a consultant flatly stated: Nobody is doing what you do. Nobody wants to do what you do!

It’s my hope that someday there can be an HFP chapter in every state.

In our office hangs a little framed needle-point Bible verse: Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.

That’s what we do. It’s what we want to do. It’s what we love to do!




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