Humanity for Prisoners

I’m a news junkie. I admit it. I’m sure it’s a result of writing and broadcasting thousands of newscasts in an earlier life. I listen to local and network newscasts and I still read hard-copy newspapers. Now that I’m in the humanity business in my final career, related topics in the news catch my attention. And that was the case over the weekend.   Thomas Banchoff declared, in a Washington Post column: Mercy is painfully scarce in our politics today. He gave specific examples out of Washington DC---eliminating life-giving aid programs abroad and threatening to withhold food assistance for more than 40 million Americans. In addition, he contended that the administration’s mass deportation program “has been particularly merciless, criminalizing those who once entered the country illegally but have long been law-abiding and productive members of our communities.”   In another powerful column, this one in the Lost Angeles Times, Noubar Afeyan, coined a new but appropriate word...

 I  define “boasting” as speaking with excessive pride about one’s achievements. The writer of this essay is NOT boasting. Instead, in this sequel to Wednesday's essay,  I use the word “pride.” On the day after Thanksgiving  I share this piece with a humble sense of pride in the fact that I’m allowed to feel a sense of satisfaction regarding accomplishments achieved over the past 24 years (all in the name of the wrongly-convicted Jesus!). OK, here goes. And remember, no braggadocio as I relate messages from 3 "old timers," guys who have spent nearly 90 years in prison.   First, let’s talk about John.   On Thanksgiving Day I received a call from John, who was released a few years ago after spending 39 years behind bars. One of the things I remember about working with John involved a spiritual observance, or lack thereof. John is a Native American, and he called me to complaint that the MDOC was discriminating against his people by refusing to allow the...

I know, I know.  It sounds goofy. But it’s true! I’m genuinely thankful for prisoners in my life, and for all the lessons I learn from them.   I am not  thankful that our nation has the highest incarceration rate in the world, and that our own state keeps people in prison longer than most others.   I am not  thankful that we still have over 32,000 people in the Michigan prison system, costing taxpayers $4-million a day…more than we spend on education!   I am not  thankful for the numerous cases of over-charging and over-sentencing felons in Michigan.   I am not  thankful for the lack of creative and innovative sentence alternatives, which could render such positive results in society if given the chance.   I am not  thankful for the lack of uniformity in sentences, as seen in the wide range of sentences received by prisoners, perhaps of a different color or perhaps in a different county, for the same crime!   I...

I don’t weep much. My therapist friend labels that condition with a highfalutin title. It’s something I’m not proud of. I place a good share of the blame on the fact that I was a small-town news reporter for nearly 30 years. I’ve seen too much, heard too much, experienced too much. You get the idea.  Having made that confession I admit that, on rare occasion, tears do stream down my cheeks. And, each time it surprises me!. That seldom happens over the usual sad experiences like death or tragedy. Instead, it can occur over something very unexpected and very simple, such as a musician's interpretation of a piece of music or the lyrics in a favorite old hymn: “My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more…” That one will do it almost every time as I sit on the organ bench accompanying the congregation.   Well, let me tell you about my experience in the past week when I met Simon Latch. You wouldn’...

  My friend John Smietanka died the other day. He was 84.   As usual, the published obituary covered a lot of material…his many accomplishments as a lawyer, his important positions as a public servant, his many awards and citations, along with the usual data about family, survivors, career, church membership, date and time of memorial service, etc. He was an amazing individual with a ton of credits and accomplishments in his lifetime, including an annual pilgrimage to the Czech Republic each year to teach young law students!   But, obits don’t tell stories. So, as an old newsman, I’d like to share a few.   While serving as the U.S. District Attorney in the Western District of Michigan he handled the disappearance of West German freight ship captain Fredrich Helling in Lake Michigan. Another case involved an investigation into sales of diluted orange juice. Then there was the highly publicized major Chicago gang prosecution which fell apart amid accusations of...

The scene is in heaven, and St. Leonard is patiently waiting at the door of our Lord for a private discussion. Not many people know about St Leonard, but he’s well known in celestial circles, especially among those who have spent time behind bars while on earth. St. Leonard is the Patron of Prisoners, Captives, and Slaves.   Back to the story.   When finally granted an audience with the Heavenly Father, St. Leonard came right to the point. “What’s this I hear about your plans to start a little agency to help prisoners in a little town in Michigan?”   “Yes,” said God. “ The idea of simply helping prisoners with their day-to-day problems has been on my mind for some time. We have wonderful agencies and servants providing Bibles to prisoners, offering Bible lessons, making prison visits, and doing all kinds of things for our cause. But, I’m thinking of something much smaller. As you know, our prisons are full of men and women who aren’t getting appropriate medical care...

I see an Oklahoma headline like this in the Huff Post and it just fries me!   His Brother Admitted to a Murder. He Is Set to Be Executed for It.   Readers of this blog site are aware of how strongly I oppose the death penalty. Before I get into some of my reasons, once again, I’d like to share some information with you. As of November 1, 2025, executioners in the United States have been the busiest they have been in over a decade.   - The U.S. has carried out 40 executions so far this year. -This figure is the highest since 2012, when 43 people were executed. -October was the busiest month for executions since May 2011, with 7 executions. - The number of executions is up significantly from the 25 carried out in all of 2024. - At least six more executions are scheduled before the end of the year. BUT - The murder rate in non-death penalty states has remained consistently lower than the rate in states with the death penalty, and the gap has grown since...

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...