Humanity for Prisoners

As we begin a new year, prison issues seem overwhelming!   Re the Michigan prison mental health system, Chris says: It's a place where, if you go to try and talk about your problems, they put you in a camera-cell naked with a blanket 24 to 72 hours. All you wanted was someone to talk to.   Re the Michigan prison culinary program, Doug describes the 2024 Christmas dinner : The meal was a mushy gray meat, an apple pie missing the apples and a crust so hard my spork bent in half, and what was supposed to be cheesy potatoes. I plucked a palm sized, uncooked, potato out of the soup, which had never seen cheese because it had been stolen and sold back in the units.   Re the inability to get either the attention of healthcare or the Parole Board, Larry, age 71, says: One of my legs has been surgically removed, I’m struggling to get treatment for lung cancer, and I have heart disease. I have served over 40 years for a parolable offense, yet I cannot seem to attract suitable...

As a veteran broadcast journalist and editorial writer, significant dates often prompted me to write pieces encouraging thought on a given topic. As an octogenarian I nearly let January 6 slide by this year. But, media headlines finally got to me. So here goes!   I picked up my copy of the Detroit News today and spotted this front page headline: Jan. 6 Trump pardons could aid dozens from Mich.   I’m very familiar with pardons. My life is devoted to helping prisoners, and there are many, many men and women in Michigan who deserve  pardons.   First, let me give a quick explanation as to the meaning of this word. When a president or a governor grants a pardon, that simply means that a previously convicted person is relieved of guilt and punishment. For those of you who do not know me, I started an organization 23 years ago called   HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS. I, and my team, find that many people locked up in Michigan are worthy of consideration for pardons. Co...