Humanity for Prisoners

October 25, 2004---the day my brother Maurice Carter died. He was only 60 years of age and had spent nearly half of his life in prison for a crime he did not commit. Our decade-long battle against the system was over. Maurice, having been finally released for medical reasons, survived in freedom for only three months.   I was numb. Then the personal messages started arriving. I share a sampling of meaningful notes that buoyed me during that time of sadness.   From that wonderful Pam Cytrynbaum, then with Medill Innocence Project, one of the moving forces in our fight for justice:   Oh God. Oh God. Here’s the hug I can offer. It comes in the words of Sister Helen Prejean, a friend of us all, and, magically, a friend to me while I was in New Orleans covering death penalty cases for the local newspaper. I was covering the grotesque trial of an innocent man, Vernon Williams. The night after he was (inevitably) convicted, I sobbed to Sister Helen. “What can I do? I fai...

As we observe the anniversary of Maurice Carter’s death in 2004, I’d like to share the HFP blog page today with former Grand Rapids Press Religion Editor Charley Honey. He and two others from the Press visited Maurice at a nursing home in Lamont, Michigan shortly before he died. I treasure this piece, and share it with you in memory of my brother. Maurice Carter knows 'It's so great to be free' Publication date:  8/21/2004, GRAND RAPIDS PRESS Byline:  Charles Honey / Press Religion Editor   This week, I had the privilege of meeting a man convicted of trying to kill someone. His name is Maurice Carter. He has gentle eyes, a warm hug and a soft smile that glows with gratitude. In this thin, ailing man, I saw a presence of grace that I have not witnessed in a very long time. "I know this God is for real," Carter said quietly, sitting in the lobby of an area nursing home. "He's just answered my prayers. That's what keeps me going....

I remember paging through a magazine as a little guy in the 1940s, and seeing the image of an older boy carrying a younger boy on his back. The caption read, “He ain’t heavy, mister… he’s my brother.” I never forgot it.   Maurice Carter died exactly 21 years ago this week. I called him my brother.   It all began in the mid-90s when I was introduced to this Michigan prisoner. Maurice, of Gary Indiana, was serving a life sentence on charges of assault with intent to commit murder. His claims of innocence in a Benton Harbor shooting case intrigued me. For the next month or two, he and I chatted, sometimes by telephone, sometimes in prison. It didn’t take long for this old reporter to realize that the Maurice Carter case not only had a serious odor…it reeked!   So, I agreed to partner with him to assist in proving his claims and obtaining his freedom. That was a huge victory for Maurice. His support group suddenly doubled. Instead of just Maurice, now it was Maurice and...

I first heard complaints and horror stories about prison food 3 decades ago. That was before Humanity for Prisoners was founded. I began working with a friend behind bars to help prove his innocence. This involved numerous prison visits. And, one doesn’t have to chat with inmates for long before the topic of food comes up.   Since I started HFP our team and I have heard stories you wouldn’t believe…mold, maggots, rotten meat, rodents and more! Last month, a fine piece was published about these issues, and that prompts me to talk about it again. Wilfredo Laracuente is a Reentry Program Specialist, and I’ll be lifting some of his quotes from a column entitled IS PRISON FOOD A LONG-TERM DEATH SENTENCE? The simple answer: Yes!   The prison cuisine story is far more complex than just bad food. Let me explain.   Here’s what else happens when Michigan spends less than $2 for three meals a day for its state prisoners---   -The Portions are too small . (A 2020 study by ...

Perhaps it’s time to listen to the comments of our citizens who resident in Michigan prisoners. HFP gives one this opportunity today:   Hopefully my kvetching falls on at least one influential person's desk who is sympathetic to changing the fallen state of the prison system. We hit a tipping point after COVID when the convict mindset took a "don't care" attitude. The pandemic disrupted the tight routine necessary to maintain order, and as convicts continually pushed the envelope--with little push back by staff--their use of moonshine, drugs, and violence increased exponentially, as did gang membership. Add to this new levels of depression, fatalism even, after learning so many friends died, and the anger at health care's apathy toward actually caring only worsened the issue.   Speaking of anger, this one falls directly on Michigan's Democrats: Their refrain since 1984 was they'd focus on prison reform if they ever reclaimed control of the state. Wel...

  "No government ought to be without censors: and where the press is free, no one ever will. If virtuous, it need not fear the fair operation of attack and defence" — Thomas Jefferson.   The Jimmy Kimmel saga has suddenly drawn strong focus on the threat of news censorship. This is not new, and it’s not just at the national level.   As a young, small-market radio news reporter, I was awakened to the problem decades ago.   When appointed News Director of WJBL in Holland in 1957 I was immediately warned by the Chamber of Commerce that no news from that office could be released before noon, thus assuring that the local newspaper would not be scooped. A similar warning came from Hope College.   (It didn’t work!)   That reminds me of a troubling national story. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wants credentialed journalists covering the Pentagon to sign a “pledge” to not report on — that is, keep from the American public — information the administrati...

The MLive newspaper chain recently published a story about a surge in violence at the St. Louis Correctional Facility. We’ve been hearing reports that the MDOC is working on solutions for violence, which seems to be increasing throughout the system.   An HFP client, a good writer who also has good insight, offers some suggestions. I think his ideas are worth sharing.   “A good start,” says my friend Douglas, “is to go back and copy what it was like when I came in rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.”   Here are his suggestions.   -“Create jobs . This place is the most miserly paying joint I've been to, and with the fewest and most meaningless jobs. Idleness is truly the Devil's workshop, so just allowing men who've already shown a propensity toward violating the law to walk endless circles when they're not locked down is a recipe for all manner of assaults. People who worked in the factories generally did not want to mess up, and even the less desirable ...

  History was made today!   I’m not exaggerating. It was a historic moment for the Christian Reformed Church of North America. It was a historic moment for the Michigan Department of Corrections. And it was a historic moment for HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS.   The Christian Reformed Church has two new pastors today. In an impressive ceremony attended by 16 people at the Muskegon Correctional Facility, two prisoners were ordained! Pastor Mark Urban and Pastor Crisanto Escabalzeta are both serving lengthy sentences on charges involving criminal sexual conduct. Neither will be eligible for parole until the 2030s.   It's an amazing story of redemption!   The two men first completed years of study in Calvin Prison Initiative. CPI is a Christian liberal arts education program for Michigan inmates. That was only the first step in their decade-long pursuit of ordination. Even though they could not continue their studies in a seminary, tutors were provided. Finally cam...

  Joyce was on the line. I have no idea how Joyce got my telephone number, but the mother of two adult sons in prison was calling me from Detroit. A Black senior citizen on fixed income and battling cancer had heard of HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS. She asked me to check on one of her sons who, she felt, was becoming suicidal.   I readily agreed, but my next question was why didn’t she personally visit her son? Then came the tears. Months ago, when Joyce was getting checked in to visit one of her sons, the desk officer informed her that she had to go home. Prison visits were banned because a bench warrant had been issued due to unpaid traffic tickets. Being on a fixed income, it was traffic tickets or groceries for Joyce. She chose to keep on eating.   I’ll make this story very short. Assisted by several national agencies HFP, within days, raised money for her traffic tickets, personally delivered the money to her and the judge. She was finally able to see her boys...the fir...

“You've been one extremely faithful source of support through these many years. I know that support personally, and so many women here (at WHV) have been affected by your prayers and the help you have given through the years. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”   That message arrived at the HFP office as I was working on our  birthday post for the blog site. It came from Karen Boes, now 69, who was convicted of felony murder by a jury in 2003. The state contended that she set fire to her house, a fire that claimed the life of her daughter. She was sentenced to life behind bars. She consistently claimed her innocence. For all these years I personally followed up on her case, especially after learning that junk science had been used to gain conviction. I still have the two-page letter from an arson expert with excellent credentials who informed me that she could not have set that fire. I stayed in touch with Karen, HFP supported her in any way possible, and I kept her in my pray...

  It must surely be a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit that even a small number of those men and women in the hell of the prison system survive it and hold on to their humanity.” ― Howard Zinn   The stuff I’m reading from and about Michigan prisons this week is so unpleasant! It underscores the very reason why HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS was formed 24 years ago, and the reason why, today, HFP offers a cup of cool water, “action with compassion.”   St. Louis Correctional Facility   The Michigan Corrections Organization reveals that it has received alarming reports from St. Louis CF exposing hazardous and unsafe conditions. “SLF experienced a rash of violence in July 2025 which included 15 staff assaults, 25 prisoner assaults, and 69 prisoners sent to segregation for fighting. Additionally, 23 prisoners went to segregation for protection and 45 for refusing to lock in general population. The facility was put on lock down multiple times including after a...

Bridge Michigan recently published a fine report on Michigan’s shameful practice of charging state prisoners for visiting the health clinic. At first glance one might think there’s still hope of eliminating that dumb co-pay idea. But as you read on it becomes apparent that hope for any change is grim. It ain’t gonna happen, and that’s an outrage!   FYI, Michigan prisoners pay a $5 copay for most medical visits.   5 bucks doesn’t seem like much. Keep in mind, however, that these men and women can earn as little as 74 cents per day in their prison jobs (wages haven’t gone up in decades!). Michigan is one of only 16 states where the co-pay for health care costs is more than the average weekly wage for inmates.   One of the arguments in favor of co-pay is that it not only discourages frivolous visits to the doctor’s office, but that it makes money for the state. I can’t prove this, but I insist that, to the contrary, this stupid practice costs the state money. Because ...

Here’s a problem that few people know about: Approximately 6% of the Michigan Department of Corrections budget is spent on overtime pay! Because of staff shortages corrections officers are working long hours. So many overtime hours, in fact, that it’s costing the state more than $112 million per year!   The problem is easily explained. Approximately half of Michigan's prisons are understaffed, with a shortage of around 900 officers statewide!   An in-depth report written by MLive reporter Nathan Clark tells the story well. And, it has clout because it reaches Michigan readers of 9 different newspapers.   On the other hand, instead of making that kind of impact along comes Doug Tjapkes, a little guy, a small market journalist whose radio station had 500 watts, who’s living in a city of 3,000 people, and who has no clout whatsoever. My mantra, in all my careers, has been to speak up for the little guy. So, regardless of impact or clout, I’d like to turn the focus fro...

“Lock him up and throw away the key!”   You’ll be hearing talk like that, once again, as Bradford Gille gets processed through the justice system. Gille is the man who stabbed 11 people at a Walmart in Traverse City on July 26. His family had been unsuccessfully trying to get help for this mentally challenged man for years. Now he faces 11 charges of assault with intent to murder, as well as one terrorism charge.   Even though Gille is obviously struggling with severe mental illness and needs appropriate psychiatric care and hospitalization, there is always the possibility that public clamor and aggressive criminal justice officials might determine that he’s well enough to be tried.   Sadly, it’s really the State of Michigan that is to blame, and who’s going to punish the state?   Since 1965, we closed 36 hospitals and centers serving adults with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and emotionally disturbed children. Between 1987 and 2003 alone, Mich...

It’s dang hot these days! A widespread and dangerous heat wave is currently affecting a large portion of the United States, particularly right here in the Midwest.   Daily we hear reports about the most vulnerable people affected by this hot weather. The focus is often on the homeless, but others include outdoor workers, pregnant women and low-come folks, especially children and the elderly. And, to their credit, many agencies and organizations are coming to their rescue.   Sadly, there’s another segment of our society seriously affected by the heat: prisoners. We hear very little about their plight. Maybe that’s because they “deserve” what they get. This is a critical problem nationally, but also right here in Michigan.   For example, one of our clients warns that the heat conditions at St. Louis Correctional Facility are a potential health risk. He said that “they are closing the door grates even during the heat advisory.” The Deputy Warden told HFP that it’s the ...