Humanity for Prisoners

  When I first met Maurice Carter in the mid-1990s he was unknown…simply a Black man serving time in the Michigan prison system for a crime he swore he did not commit.   History will show that he and I fought side-by-side for his freedom for nearly a decade. He was granted a medical release in 2004 and died 3 months after his release. BUT, during that 9-year campaign, the name Maurice Carter became well known…internationally!   Maurice is gone, now…but the impact of his story lives on! It’s told in my book SWEET FREEDOM; in the award-winning documentary WRONGED---THE MAURICE CARTER STORY, produced by Nate Roels; and in the powerful stage play JUSTICE FOR MAURICE HENRY CARTER, written by award-winning Toronto playwrights Donald Molnar and Alicia Payne. And this story is about that play.   The playwrights were pleased when their drama was chosen for presentation at Toronto’s famous Fringe festival last year.   But, here’s what no one realized at that time....

I’m sure you’ve heard of the Innocence Project. My first encounter with this organization was in the mid-1990s, when the University of Wisconsin IP provided invaluable assistance as we tried to prove the innocence of Maurice Carter.   Founded in 1992 by visionary attorneys Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, the Innocence Project has been at the forefront of criminal justice reform, using DNA and other scientific advancements to prove wrongful conviction. The Innocence Project works to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. These wonderful people have helped free more than 250 innocent people from prison!   That’s the bright side. Now, the dark side: shameful statistics…stuff that we must hear during Black History Month…stuff that we see in the Humanity for Prisoners office on a regular basis.   The Innocence Project headquarters has compiled 8 outrageous statistics highlighting the...

I have a bone to pick with the union that represents prison guards in Michigan. The corrections officers have expressed concern regarding the dangerous increase in assaultive behavior, prisoner-on-prisoner, and prisoners-on-guards.   In a two-page letter, recently sent to MODC Director Heidi Washington by union president Byron Osborn, he said: The prison pendulum has been stuck on the rehabilitation and education side of the system for too long and we, the officers, need it to start swinging back toward the safety and security side of the system.”   His solution to the problem: expanded segregation units and increased use of high security housing. The letter frames prolonged isolation and higher security placement as necessary for safety.   I respond with two questions.       One, in a department of CORRECTIONS, how can there ever be too much emphasis on rehabilitation and education?  And, two, how does increased torture reduce any problem in p...

OK. Let’s say you’re a high school dropout. Many incarcerated men and women fit into that category. Because of that, let’s say you don’t read very well. A National Adult Literacy Survey shows that 70% of all incarcerated adults cannot read at a fourth-grade level. But, you’ve spent decades behind bars, have changed your life and deserve to be released. You want to ask the Governor of the State of Michigan to commute your sentence. How to get started?  The clemency application form itself is a challenge to many. That scenario explains why HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS is so appreciated by inhabitants of our state prisons. Sarah Ebidon, our Volunteer Manager, explains the role HFP plays in helping many with their clemency applications, regardless of how well they read.. “In addition to our Clemency Guides publication, we offer to type, format, fix grammatical errors and make suggestions for improvements.” It’s an invaluable service for many. We don't stop there. We also have volunteers to ...

 I t’s true. Not since the days of Dr. Martin Luther King have we so desperately needed a similar voice in our country.   I’m making my point now because January 19 is Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. It’s a national holiday that observes the birthday of one of the nation’s greatest heroes of all times. Dr. King was born on January 15, 1929…he was assassinated in 1968. On MLK Day we honor Dr. King's leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, where he served as a pivotal leader for justice and equality. He wanted civil rights for people of color in the United States and insisted that this could be accomplished through the use of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience. His target was Jim Crow laws and other forms of legalized discrimination.   Our President doesn’t much care for this holiday. He couldn’t rescind it, but he could disrupt our observance of the day. For example, Trump rescinded fee-free days at national parks for both Martin Luther King Jr. Day as well as...

I must make a confession. I am guilty of “tunnel vision.”   I’m so focused on the plight of incarcerated men and women that I forget that many free men and women still live in some type of prison.   I am reminded of that today, after spending last week in the hospital. I’m OK. I’m 89, and things are starting to fall apart. But hear my story.   I was assigned to a two-bed hospital room. Sleeping behind the curtain right next to me was Old Pete. Old Pete suffered a stroke last November. That’s when he was brought to the hospital. More than 2 months later, he’s still there! The stroke didn’t cause any paralysis, didn’t appear to leave any physical damage, but his thinking was muddled, words were expressed hesitatingly, and it appeared that he couldn’t read.   It became apparent over the next several days that Old Pete had only one family member, a brother who made frequent visits and who really cared.   Other than that, no loved ones, no kin, no friends fr...

On this first day of the New Year, I’d like to share some thoughts about a small portion of a Frederick Buechner prayer that I believe focuses directly on the plight of prisoners.  Buechner was an American author, Presbyterian minister, preacher, and theologian, and published 39 books. His career spanned more than six decades. He died in 2022 at the age of 96!  Thanks to a special program that was offered, I receive a quote from this fine theologian and writer every day via email. One dispatch this week featured a prayer, and I posted it on Facebook as the perfect prayer for ending the year and starting the year.  For those of you who have a relationship with a prisoner, or who are familiar with the multitude of issues that incarcerated men and women face, take a look at this phrase:  THOU SON OF THE Most High, Prince of Peace, be born again into our world. Wherever…there is pain, wherever there is loneliness, wherever there is no hope, come, thou long-expect...