Good for Lester! Good for HFP!

I hope you’ll be watching upcoming TV specials when NBC’s Lester Holt focuses on mass incarceration. May God bless his efforts to bring public awareness to this terrible blight on our nation.

As I’m watching and listening, I’m excited and impressed all over again about the niche that HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS has found under this same umbrella. Because of the uniqueness of our work, I see a critical need for its expansion into all states.

As it stands right now, the HFP team is on target to respond to 1,000 calls this month! The total in August was 949. While it’s terribly important for NBC and USA Today to focus on huge incarceration issues, it’s equally as important for someone to help the individual behind bars experiencing little, daily problems that he or she just cannot resolve without outside help. This is also true for family members and loved ones.

-A senior inmate is told not to worry when his heart keeps acting up. He contends health-care doesn’t want to spend money on old-timers.

-The wife of a prisoner complains that she’s not allowed to leave the visitor room for an emergency break, and there are no sanitary napkins in the adjoining rest room. She is told by prison staff to stay home when she has her period.

-The grandmother of a mentally challenged inmate doesn’t know where to turn when her grandson is being extorted by gang bangers. They tell him that money must be sent to these thugs behind bars, and she sends it!

-An inmate is fully aware of the fact that the Parole Board’s copy of his record has inaccuracies, but he doesn’t know how to get it corrected.

-A prisoner wants to obtain some legal records to help his appeal, but Michigan is the only state in the country that will not permit inmates to file requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

-Diabetics in one facility are simply asking that their meal times be coordinated to fit the times of insulin shots.

-An inmate with sleep apnea complains that the prison won’t provide distilled water for a CPAP breathing device.

Yesterday our staff and team of professional volunteers responded to 55 calls like these. EVERY prisoner, every representative of a prisoner, every prisoner’s family member gets immediate attention and response. We may not be able to solve the problem right away, but callers talk to real people who care.

HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS: an incredible agency. It’s growth over 18 years has been phenomenal! I see major excitement and development in its future!

…remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Hebrews 13:3




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