Humanity for Prisoners

A couple of former prisoners sat in our office the other day. One of our clients, a friend of mine who had served 16 years (all the while claiming innocence), was finally paroled a few years ago. He and I met with our Executive Director, who also served time for a crime he did not commit. But, the frustration being shared was not over innocence or guilt issues. The topic was reentry.   Al had a difficult time getting a driver’s license. Even though he had maintained a high grade-point average in community college courses during incarceration, he found it difficult to get a job upon release. He had been approved for some good positions…that is, until his prison record was discovered. The same thing happened when he wanted to continue his education. Even one of the fine Christian colleges in the area turned him down…donors might not like it!   And that reminded me of numerous unpleasant reentry stories.   Maurice Carter was seriously ill after 29 years of incarceration. He was appr

A headline in the August 30 edition of the Detroit Free Press shouted: Violence on rise at women’s prison! Veteran Freep writer on prison issues, Paul Egan, led off the article by saying, “Violence and turmoil are on the rise at Michigan’s only prison for women…”   For background information, some 2,000 women are housed in Women’s Huron Valley, located in Ypsilanti. They were all moved into one facility in the early years of HFP. I have personally been a champion for these incarcerated women from the very beginning. A check of our blog posts over the years will show a continuous battle for improvement. One of the times when I went there to speak with inmates, I was given a standing ovation. It wasn’t because Doug Tjapkes was so great. It was because HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS cares!   When Heidi Washington assumed the position of Director of the Michigan Department of Corrections in 2015, she assured me in a private session that she had a personal interest in WHV. Personal interest or

An item in the Washington Post last week caught my attention. Here are a couple paragraphs:   Death row inmates in five states have been put to death in the span of one week, an unusually high number of executions that defies a years-long trend of decline in both the use and support of the death penalty in the U.S.   The United States has reached 1,600 executions since the death penalty was reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976, said Robin Maher, the Death Penalty Information Center’s executive director. The story struck a chord with me because, as many of you know, I witnessed the execution of a friend who, I believe, was wrongly convicted in Texas. That experience gives me much appreciation for this quote from Clint Smith:   The death penalty not only takes away the life of the person strapped to the table - it takes away a little bit of the humanity in each of us. This will not be a long piece. I’ve been beating this drum for years. I am not optimistic in the least th

Several years ago representatives from the Michigan Department of Corrections visited Norway to learn about the country's criminal justice system and correctional facilities. And, for good reason. Norway's criminal justice system focuses on restorative justice and prisoner rehabilitation, and the number of prisoners keeps dropping!   Correctional facilities in Norway aim to make prisoners functioning members of society .   But, and we cannot stress this enough: Something else is incredibly important in the Norwegian System. Leaders there claim that their success also hinges on two other critical components: dedication to staff training and staffing ratios.   I was prompted to write about this after our good friend Carol Myers sent me an article from The Seattle Times. The State of Washington is in the middle of a multimillion-dollar effort that some advocates hope will make Washington’s prisons safer. It has nothing to do with tighter restrictions or heightened surveilla

Music. That’s how it all began!   I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. I’m sure it’s a combination of old age, the recent 23 rd birthday of HFP, and the production of a new documentary detailing the Maurice Carter/Doug Tjapkes story. I keep trying to answer the question: How did I get here? With a major in broadcast journalism, and a minor in church music (none of it the result of formal education), here I am working with prisoners. And loving it! And believing with all my heart that this is my calling!   Well, let’s go back to my first prison experience.   The year was 1968, the shameful Vietnam War was in full swing, and I was in that war-torn country on behalf of World Vision International, accompanying two wonderful singers…old family friends. It’s hot in Vietnam, unless you are up in the mountains. It was a chilly, rainy Sunday morning in the Central Highlands when World Vision rep Jim Franks led us to a prison. It was a small facility where captured enemy soldiers, members

Maurice Carter wouldn’t believe it. His story goes on!   It was back in the mid-1990s that I made the decision to assist a Michigan prisoner named Maurice Carter, who claimed he was innocent. Maurice was introduced to me by another inmate who also claimed wrongful conviction. I was selling church organs at the time, so I was on the road a lot. This enabled me to stop by a state prison from time to time to visit my new friend.   I’ve told this story so many times, I’ll keep it short. It didn’t take long for Maurice to convince me that there was a major injustice here. A Black man from Gary, Indiana, with almost no family support, absolutely no financial support, and whose claims of wrongful conviction kept falling on deaf ears, finally had a helper. Maurice and Doug. His team had doubled!   The story of our history-making fight for his freedom over the next nine years resulted in a book: Sweet Freedom. Then it was told in a stage play: Justice for Maurice Henry Carter. Now, all

August 29, 2001…the date that the bylaws were signed for a new non-profit organization called INNOCENT! Years later, the agency’s name would change to HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS to more accurately reflect its work and its mission.   One might think that, when I started this organization 23 years ago, I had lofty goals in mind and knew exactly what I was doing! Couldn’t be farther from the truth.   I was successfully selling church organs, and certainly needed no more tasks or responsibilities in my life. BUT, I had this good friend residing in Michigan prisons, serving time for a crime he did not commit. We were five years into the fight for his freedom, as partners or, as we preferred to call it, “brothers.” And this brother of mine kept insisting that we should start an organization to help others with similar plights. It should be pointed out that Maurice had little-to-no support, only a few close family members, and no money.   Maurice was no “lone wolf,” he insisted. There were

OK, fellow church goers. A quick question for you. When’s the last time you heard either the topic of incarceration, or more specifically the incarcerated mentioned in your church prayer list?   Some of the most beautiful prayers in the history of the church, in my opinion, are found in the Book of Common Prayer. Granted, we seldom use this type of English in our prayers anymore, but take a moment to read this:   O GOD, who sparest when we deserve punishment, and in thy wrath rememberest mercy; We humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness to comfort and succour all those who are under reproach and misery in the house of bondage; correct them not in thine anger, neither chasten them in thy sore displeasure. Give them a right understanding of themselves, and of thy threats and promises; that they may neither cast away their confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Relieve the distressed, protect the innocent, and awaken the guilty: and forasmuch as thou alone bringest light

A resident of one of Michigan’s prisons sent a lengthy letter to our staff recently, grumbling about a lot of things. After all, when one spends time behind bars, one will find a lot of things to grumble about. Today I just want to repeat our stand on two issues.   First, take a look at what an incarcerated person has to say about wages:   The prices at the prison commissary are extremely high with what little we are paid. Food service workers make between $.17 -$.33 per hour. Yes, that's cents. Someone mowing grass or shoveling snow makes $.94 a day. The average job in here makes around $25.00 - $30.00 a month. Our commissary prices aren't affordable for what we get paid. Go to michiganpackages.com to see our store prices. We have no choice but to burden our friends and family to survive in here, as we get fed so poorly. Prisoners do all of the work inside and outside of these fences. Staff only watches. So why are Michigan prisoners paid so poorly? Wisconsin prisoners g

It’s a rare occasion, indeed, when somebody does something positive for Michigan’s incarcerated who are suffering with serious illness. Well, it has happened. It’s a very small step, and there’s still a lot to be desired. But, at the very least, there’s movement.   It happened without fanfare in late July, when Governor Whitmer signed 39 bills. Buried in that stack was a measure that was of keen interest to HFP: Senate Bill 599 . The governor’s signature on that bill improves on a 2019 statue which allows the Michigan Parole Board to release prisoners with declining health if they are not a threat. The new changes will not only allow the parole board to review more cases, but will also enable the board to expedite its review of situations in which an inmate is dying.   I realize that it all sounds heavenly, but the rest of the story will bring things crashing back to earth.   First let me talk about the original bill, the one from 2019. Sounds like an exciting break for ailing pr

As I began writing this post, a blue heron swooped down into the pond in front of my office window. He (or she) began fishing in the pond. I was mesmerized for a moment. How blessed I am, on a sunny, summer afternoon, to watch this little scene!   To explain, this blog author is now 87 years of age. I started this agency, doing its very best to help prisoners with their personal issues and problems when they don’t know where else to turn, 23 years ago. Since that time, I have developed not only an incredible desire to help the incarcerated, but an incurable love for those residing behind bars.   My role with HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS lessens as the years go by, but I still work every day, and try to make my little contribution to the success of this wonderful agency. My office is at home, and overlooks a pond. Just outside the sliding glass door, in front of me, there’s an array of bird feeders and a bird bath.   A Canada geese couple (I call them Gertrude and Heathcliff, a reminder

It was very early in the morning on Saturday, July 24, 2004.   Scott Elliott couldn’t sleep any longer. Neither could I. We stood quietly sipping coffee in the lobby of the Holiday Inn, Jackson, Michigan. Scott was the founder and chair of the Citizens Committee for the Release of Maurice Carter. I was Maurice’s best friend, and had led the fight for his freedom since the mid-90s.   Friday night had been festive in that Holiday Inn, as many supporters of Maurice, as well as family members, gathered over dinner, anxiously anticipating his release the following morning.   Special friend Jerry Horne was up early, also, cleaning the windshield of his luxurious motor home that would serve as Maurice’s transportation to Spring Lake, and a public reception. Jerry and his wife Dee loved Maurice, and graciously donated the time and the vehicle for this special occasion.   Later that morning, Maurice’s cousin Mary Armstrong and I would walk Maurice Carter out of Michigan’s prison hospita

What would it be like for a person behind bars?   As a worker with the incarcerated, I often ask that question when certain issues arise in my own life. That was the case when I recently underwent surgery for colon cancer.   -The mass was discovered during a routine check-up by my primary care physician. In that prison healthcare is so marginal, how likely is it that a malignant mass would be found in its early stage?   -Upon discovery of the problem, I was able to meet with a surgeon within a week! For the incarcerated, nothing happens quickly.   -Preparation for a colonoscopy begins one day in advance, with a colon-cleansing regimen that demands frequent urgent bathroom visits. Virtually impossible in our state prisons! Can you imagine?   -Pain meds were critical in my post-op recovery. HFP Office Manager Susie Greenbauer, who handles most of our medical complaints, says: “…the surgeon will recommend follow up visits, therapy, certain meds, further care and the MDOC provide

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."   Reciting The Pledge of Allegiance is sorta like offering The Lord’s Prayer. We get so accustomed to saying them that we don’t really pay attention to the words.   The United States may be the “land of the free, and the home of the brave,” but if you think that, in our nation, there is “justice for all,” you’ve got another guess coming!   Case in point.   The HFP office helps many incarcerated people in the preparation of applications for a commutation of sentence. I was asked to review the application of an elderly Native American physician, and that’s when my blood starting boiling!   Here’s a capsule of his story.   Dr. Desai’s business partner was strangled to death in 1983. 12 years later, based on a conversation by 2 other people alleging that he had solicited someone to commit the c

I hate to visit the city of Benton Harbor, Michigan. I have friends there. I have done business there. I have worshiped there. But the tragic memories of the shameful Maurice Carter case come alive every time my car reaches the city limits.   That was the case just the other day. Award-winning film maker Nathan Roels wanted to shoot some footage at the scene of the crime for which Maurice was wrongly convicted. Roels is producing a short documentary about the Carter story, having been commissioned by Humanity for Prisoners. The focus on that story is especially significant this year. For one thing, 2024 marks the 20 th anniversary of Maurice’s release from prison. And, a group of University of Michigan law students hope to file an appeal for a posthumous pardon by Governor Whitmer soon.   I reluctantly agreed to the Benton Harbor visit.   I find it amazing that God can take this list of shameful facts to create beauty: -Maurice was arrested for shooting and injuring an off-dut

As an advocate doing my best to help the incarcerated---men and women who are unable to help themselves---news stories about crime and crime victims, racial discrimination and suppression, and the idea that all of us are not created equal, have been capturing my attention this month.   Guns   Today, for example, marks eight years since a gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, killing 49 people and leaving 53 wounded. The June 12, 2016, massacre was one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history!   Yet, progress in dealing with the issue is slow, indeed. The Center for American Progress reports that voters are increasingly recognizing that gun violence is a serious problem, and that weak gun laws are driving the rise in violent crime. “When state legislatures repeal effective gun laws, such as those requiring a permit to purchase a firearm or to carry guns in public places, violent crime increases and communities becomes less safe. Elected officials who

  Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive. Dalai Lama   When Pastor Nate discussed our love for each other, and God’s love for us on Sunday, my thoughts immediately went to prisoners. It’s important that we get reminders about saying “I love you” to family and friends.   It’s important to be reminded that, no matter our failures and shortcomings, God loves us.   But, when Jesus gives us instructions (not suggestions!) about love, things get sticky. I’m talking about   Love your neighbor as yourself. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.   It was troubling enough when Jesus explained to a questioner that, by “neighbor,” he wasn’t talking about the guy next door. He was saying that it’s up to us to behave like that Good Samaritan in his parable.   But then he went on to say, “Love your enemies.” Could that possibly mean prisoners? Especially the ones who may have harmed me or my friends? The ones who cont