Humanity for Prisoners

Perhaps you saw the story in the news last week: Families of four dead inmates sue state over unsafe prison railings.   Is it any wonder?   Paul Egan, fine writer for the Detroit Free Press, has been doing an excellent job of following this story for years. It’s not a very nice one.   This new lawsuit alleges that officials knew prison railings at two Jackson-area facilities were unsafe for years and did nothing. The Detroit Free Press has documented six fatal inmate falls from upper galleries and four falls causing injuries at these 2 prisons in Jackson, beginning in 2020. The MDOC ruled 4 of the deaths as suicide. The other 2 were said to be accidental falls.   “The lawsuit notes that, as first reported by the Free Press, an MDOC employee in 2023 complained to the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration that the height of the railings was unsafe and that the MDOC's response to the complaint was that no hazard existed,” says Paul Egan. Now t...

David was more than an HFP client. He was a dear friend, and I miss him. It’s a sad story.   I first met this kind, soft-spoken man shortly after the formation of HFP in 2001, back in the days when our organization was still called INNOCENT. Because of that name, his parents contacted me to explain his case. I will not delve into the legal aspects of this story now. I will only state that we had proof that he had been wrongly convicted.   18 years later, while serving time in one of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula correctional facilities. David became ill. It was apparent that this was no common cold. David had pneumonia, and the Michigan Department of Corrections determined that the nearby hospital wasn’t capable of handing this situation.   So, here’s the first shameful step the department took. It piled him into a van, while literally dying, and transported David 160 miles to another UP prison for supposedly improved hospital care! No one will ever know how much this...

Death and dying are on my mind. Earlier on this Saturday I played the organ for a memorial service in our church. That prompted some reflections.   Death and dying have been a part of this old man’s life for decades.   In the 1950s, when I got married, I was a news reporter. My new bride, Marcia, was an emergency room nurse. I covered accidents where there were fatalities . Family was there. Marcia treated patients who didn’t make it. Family was there.   Later in life, while serving some 50 years as a church organist, I played for many funeral services. Family was there . Meanwhile, Marcia became a certified hospice nurse, sitting at the side of men and women in their final moments. The beauty of it was, Family was there .   Well, then came my third career. I began working with prisoners and it wasn’t long before I and my new organization were dealing with death and dying for the incarcerated. The big difference: Family wasn’t there!   Marcia and I cam...

Last week I  mentioned the names of the Humanity for Prisoners team when I reported on the meaningful honor that we had received. No one deserves that Justice Warrior Award more than Mark, Carmen, Sarah, Brad, Jen and Joe! Yes, they all have titles but, in our office, we don’t let title or seniority get in our way. When one needs help, the others pitch in. On this Labor Day I think it’s important that we recognize the dedication to justice, dignity, and advocacy that this HFP group has for those who are often forgotten. It’s a profound form of labor ! As the founder of this impactful organization I know, first-hand, that these efforts are heavy, continuous, and rarely receive public thanks. This team labors year-round in the toughest corners of our justice system to bring hope and dignity to incarcerated men and women in all of Michigan’s correctional facilities.   On Labor Day, 2026, thank you for showing up every single day to be a voice, a lifeline, and a force for chang...

  August 29, 2006, marked the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the 14th in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.     Back in the days when I was a radio newsman some of the bigger stations in Michigan actually had people assigned to spend their time trying to win station accolades. Their goal: to inform listeners that theirs was “an award-winning” news department.   As the News Director of a small market radio station, I never had time for such nonsense. I, my small news crew and my stringers were too busy trying to do our very best to keep our community informed. Over the years I learned that listeners were able to determine which news operations were “award winners.” They needed no announcements.   I raise the issue today, because it is a special day for HFP! Just as when I was a radio News Director, I had no thoughts of winning awards when I founded this little prisoner advocacy program in 2001. My goal was to compassiona...

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the 13th in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   AI gets it!   As I look back on the founding of HFP I wonder just what I was thinking! When I took control of my first business, in the broadcasting industry, I was well qualified. When I began my second career in church organ sales, again, I was well qualified. But, it was all different when a wrongly-convicted friend persuaded me to start an organization that help incarcerated men and women. What the heck was I doing? I knew nothing about this field!   Well, I asked AI for its thoughts, and I felt the response was quite insightful:   “Your experience with the prison advocacy agency is a perfect real-world example of how powerful a fresh perspective can be. Coming from radio and organ sales, you didn't have the ‘expert blindness’ that often stalls progress in deeply entrenched systems.   “When you start with zero industr...

  August 29, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the 12th in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.     What do an allergist, a psychologist, a speech therapist, a pharmaceutical executive and a pathologist have in common? That unusual array of professionals makes up the list of people who graciously agreed to chair the HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS Board of Directors.   Evan Reinders , the allergist, was our first chairman. When I formed the organization in 2001 I had no concept of the role of a board directors. Neither did I have any idea of where this attempt to help incarcerated men and women might go, if anywhere. But, on August 29 I signed the bylaws and a new non-profit corporation with 501c3 status called INNOCENT officially began its work. Evan graciously agreed to chair our first Board of Directors and he did an outstanding job of leading our little group through those uncharted, formative years!   Dan Rooks ,...

August 29 ,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the 11th in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes. The words “Sweet Freedom” have been a part of HFP’s history for a long time!   That was the title of my book, published in 2006, which told the story of a 10-year battle to prove Maurice Carter’s innocence and get him out of prison.   But there’s more, and much of the credit goes to the late Dr. John Mulder.   John was more than a physician and a nationally known palliative care expert. He was a fine, fine musician! I loved joining him on the piano as he played and sang in our church services.   10 years after I founded Humanity for Prisoners the agency was doing wonderful work, but the cold reality of prisoner advocacy is that it is not a popular topic and raising necessary funds to keep the operation moving forward is a constant challenge. I spoke with John after church one Sunday in 2011, suggesting that perhaps he a...

August, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the tenth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   It wasn’t long after I started this organization that I learned some hard facts about mental illness in our state prisons. In our early years we had 3 new clients with mental issues. And, as we always do, we jumped in with both feet!   I’ll share brief stories about Arnie, Kevin and Kyle in a moment.   But first, we must talk about this problem.   Mental health issues are highly prevalent in Michigan prisons. Individuals suffering from serious mental illness make up roughly 23% of the total prison population.   That really should be no surprise.  We closed down about three-quarters of our state psychiatric facilities between 1990 and 1998 under Governor John Engler! As you might expect, prison then became a substitute facility for many mentally challenged individuals.   Now about our early clients and t...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the ninth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   I’m a newsman. I love a good story. For HFP, this ranks as one of the very best!   2009, and I’m having lunch with former Grand Rapids Press writer Pat Shellenbarger, who had paired up with me while working on the Maurice Carter case. “I have a letter here that may interest you.” It was in a state prison envelope.   The letter was from Mark Hartman, a businessman from New York State who, like Maurice, claimed wrongful conviction in Berrien County. A friend had handed him a copy of my book SWEET FREEDOM shortly after his arrival at a Muskegon prison. Noticing the many similarities in the Hartman and Carter cases, Mark wanted to contact the author. With no success in reaching me, he reached out to Pat Shellenbarger, a name he had seen in the book.   My office at that time was in Muskegon. So, rather than send a reply I just ...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the eighth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes. Unsung heroes don't seek glory; their virtuous deeds speak louder than any praise!   (anon) I can’t tell you how it all started. Neither can Judy. We think it was around the year 2008, and here’s how she and I think the story began.   Judy VanderArk of Grand Rapids had a heart for prisoners and was helping several incarcerated students of the Crossroad Bible Institute who resided in Michigan prisons. A state prison rule is that you may visit only one person. She wanted to visit more.   I helped her attain clergy status to solve that problem. I was looking for fund raising ideas, and Judy and her husband Pete were the directors of a fine mission training project called MOSES. They knew how to raise money, and they helped me to solve that problem.   Well, whether it was for one of those reasons or both, Judy and I not only conn...

August, 2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the seventh in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   Michigan has just one prison for women. At any given time some 2,000 women are locked up in that facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This prison, Women’s Huron Valley, has been in the news a lot lately. Much of the disturbing coverage has been due to the fact that 5 persons have died there since mid-May. This has lawmakers, prisoner advocates and even editorial writers demanding improvements in what has been labelled “health care neglect.”   As I read one of the most recent articles on the topic in the Detroit News this week I was reminded that Michigan’s shameful treatment of women has been a subject of concern for us from day one. Our care, our concern and our actions have drawn the love and respect of those behind bars in Ypsi.   As I look back on our many experiences, our wonderful bond with the women of HFP is no surprise. I...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the sixth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   John Smietanka: At the beginning, a bitter enemy.   Every time I heard the name John Smietanka it was in negative comments from my friend Maurice Carter. Maurice had been arrested, prosecuted and convicted of a crime he did not commit back in the 70s in Berrien County. The prosecutor at that time was John Smietanka. The case was handled by one of his assistants. However, he was considered the enemy by Maurice and all of us in the committee seeking to free him.   Fast forward 30 years. As the founder and sole employee of HFP, I was getting badgered by one of our new clients. He insisted that I discuss his case with attorney John Smietanka, who had an office in Grandville. This guy had been wrongly convicted in Kent County and had heard about a high-profile wrongful conviction case that John had won. Remembering Maurice, I resist...

August,2026, marks the 25th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the fifth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.   Oh, the irony of it!   My friend Andre’ Nelson, now 55 years of age, has been fighting well over 30 years trying to prove that he did not murder anyone.   Andre’ was one of our very early clients after I formed the organization in 2001. At that time our agency’s name was INNOCENT, and so we obviously caught the attention of men and women behind bars who claimed wrongful conviction. Andre had been convicted of a 1993 murder that he claims he knew nothing about, after only 1 hour of deliberation by a jury!   This was a unique case in that the alleged justice system in Detroit shamefully took advantage of a young man with a low IQ. Following a personal visit with Andre’ in the early 2000s he and I became special friends. The more II learned about his case the more upset I became.   I know that he could not read well ...

August marks the 25 th anniversary of Humanity for Prisoners. This is the fourth in a series of reflections by founder Doug Tjapkes.     I have no idea how Joyce obtained my home telephone number, but she did…and she called me.   An elderly Black woman living on fixed income and battling cancer, I had never met Joyce. But, she knew about Humanity for Prisoners, she found my personal telephone number and she was begging for help.   Joyce explained that she had a son in prison who was experiencing serious mental issues. She feared that he might try to take his own life and she asked if we could not only check on him, but perhaps even find some help for him.   My immediate response was, “Why don’t you visit him, yourself? A chat with his mother would certainly be best!” And that’s when I learned of a bigger problem. Her reply: “I’m not allowed to visit him!”   Long story short…she has not one, but two sons in prison, and she hadn’t been allowed to...