On how we treat the ailing in the Michigan prison
system:
I was in the hospital 4-5 weeks not moving,
not remembering anything. I was also handcuffed to the bed. 8 hours
on one leg, and 8 hours on the other. One of the officers informed me of
that fact. I was supposed to have physical therapy on my feet, but that
never happened. I suffer from numbness, tingling toes all cramping up, and
it hurts to wear socks. I usually have to push or sit in a wheelchair
because the bottoms of my feet hurt so
bad.
Tasers in Prison
April 26, 2012
From the Guy Harrison Correctional Facility to the HFP office recently -
The
corrections officers at Gus Harrison were armed with tasers as of
today. The direction from the warden is that there will be NO physical
contact with a prisoner. If the prisoner does not comply, he is to be
zapped. This is what we saw today:
A
black Muslim prisoner on his way to the control center was surrounded
by 4-6 COs on the yard. This prisoner with both hands raised above his
head and his head down in a submissive stance was zapped in the back
with the taser by an officer. There was no sign of aggression on the
part of the prisoner. Could it be that this officer wanted to be the
first to try out the taser?
Several prisoners claim to have witnessed this event, and are willing to testify to its accuracy.
Wrong guy goes free
April 25, 2012
In 2005, when our organization was still operating under
the name INNOCENT! and our caseload was nationwide, we received a letter from a
New York state prisoner. In it, he asked us to look at the case of Norman
who, he claimed, was innocent...and the reason he knew Norman was innocent was
because he was the one who actually committed the crime. After we called
attention to the case, a Midwest innocence agency started on the case,
and then suggested that Norman go to an Innocence Project nearer to him in the
east. That was in 2005, and even though we have now limited our work to
the State of Michigan, we have remained in contact with Norman, who is still in
prison. Last week HFP received this message from him:
Listen, I have an update for you. The
actual killer that committed this crime has just been released from
prison. Isn't that something? I go before the Parole Board next
week, and watch them keep me in prison while they released a guilty
killer.
Ready to speak up
March 21, 2012
This whole situation in our unit needs to be
exposed...it's been going on way too long. I have maintained a log of many
different events of people being raped, assaulted, robbed, drugs and many other
illegal activities, and I would be willing to talk with the right people who
could do something about it. I am not afraid to stand up for what's right
and expose those officers in charge, and all the complacent guards who passively
allow things to happen while they're either sleeping, playing cards, or doing
Soduku puzzles. There are so many kids being victimized here it sickens
me, and I'm tired of seeing these prison administrators allowing
it.
Urgent Plea
March 21, 2012
An urgent plea to HFP:
Please help. We're very concerned about a
young man in here only 20 years of age. We are the only thing
standing between him and several homosexual predators pressing down on
him. We have brought the matter to the attention of our superiors, and
we've prepared a written statement about what we have witnessed. Two of
the main predators are now having two other young gang-members threaten this
lad, calling him a snitch and a coward. They continually trying to make
him fight them by calling him degrading names, so the other predators can zero
in on him as being weak and soft because he won't stand up for
himself.
We have tried talking with the staff and no one is
willing to do anything about it. This young man is really a good kid, in
on a minor charge. If he can get through his necessary classes the Parole
Board will probably cut him loose. But for now, here he sits in prison
with all these vultures swooping down on him. We don't know what else we
can do. This kid is under such stress. Pray that God will watch over
him and protect him. Maybe the state police should be notified. The
fact that people like the supervisors here passively allow young people to be
victimized at this prison makes them just as criminally culpable as the perps
who are committing the crimes. Some of the guards warned that this would
happen when the state brought in all the older predators together with the young
guys. The administration should be made to do the right thing and get rid
of the predators from an open dorm environment where they can pretty much get
away with whatever they want.
Connected
January 5, 2012
Thank you for writing and keeping me connected
to the real world.
Please pray for my continued good health and
safety in this dangerous, Satan-infested environment (there have been 4
stabbings here so far this month, and one guy was beaten up by another using a
lock-in-a-sock).
A simple reminder from one of our friends to keep
them---all inmates---in your prayers.
Regularly.
Season's greetings
January 4, 2012
Dear Mr. Tjapkes,
I hope next year will be different.
Falsely accused, wrongly convicted, and imprisoned year after year for
something I haven't done. I couldn't imagine this is real---spending
hour after hour, days and nights, thinking how could this happen in real
life. Remembering you in this special season, and wishing you and
your family Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Can you imagine?
No Family
December 30, 2011
Who, do you suppose, is going to help this
guy?
I don't have any family or friends to speak of. My mother
passed in 1999 from cancer, my father had a major stroke in 2000 and I'm not
sure if he's alive. My life has been dysfunctional the last 20 years due
to emotional-mental problems which I dealt with or failed to deal with using
drugs and alcohol. I have been on and off homeless for 15-20 years, and
for the last 11 years I've been with the MDOC. I am an only child and have
no contact with my uncles, aunts or cousins. I have one friend from church
to knows me and can attest to my character. I just pray I'm not too late
to change. I have been taken off all of my meds due to my liver (HepC) and
their inability to treat it. I am tired and lethargic most of the time,
and in pain daily.
Mr. E. needs a liver transplant to survive, and he
asks: "Can you get me an address of somewhere I could possibly parole
to?" Without somewhere to go and someone to care for him, he'll never
obtain a release. We can try to help, but where would he
go?
Elderly Parents
December 8, 2011
We did our best to try to help Joe. His
parents are elderly and in bad health. They live in Lapeer, Michigan,
so it seemed to make good sense to have him transferred from Ionia to
Lapeer. They would then be able to visit him from time to time.
We wrote a letter to the warden, realizing ahead of time that this has not been known to do any good.
We encouraged him to write to his state
legislators, which he did. His state senator was told to have Joe just
work with his housing unit staff. Well, Joe did just that, and that
staff didn't take to it very kindly. They saw that he got transferred,
all right...TO THE U.P.!
It's virtually impossible for his parents,
both in their 80s, to drive that far north. Besides, his dad just had a
heart attack.
Quite interesting, really.
When all of this was going on the MDOC's
Legislative Liaison, Jessica Peterson, told Joe's senator that due to
the high costs involved in prisoner transfers, the state just can't
accommodate such requests for the sole purpose of facilitating visits.
Apparently that high cost is ignored when it comes time to teach the prisoner a lesson as to who's boss.
Joe says he'll have to stay up there for
two years until he's eligible for a transfer again, and he doesn't think
his parents can last that long.
The prison system with a heart.
Lunch for 2 bucks
November 18, 2011
Our newsletter from MI-CURE this month stated that complaints keep on
coming about the poor quality and limited quantities of good provided to the
residents of Michigan prisons. MI-CURE reported in its August newsletter
that MDOC staff members were boasting about feeding prisoners at a cost of $2.07
per day. Said MI-CURE: We think it would be a good idea
if each incarcerated person invited his or her State Senator and State
Representative to visit for lunch or dinner. (Legislators may visit a
correctional facility at any time without notice.) We would be very
interested in a legislative critique of a prison meal.
We'll go one step further, and encourage our supporters to
insist that our state legislators go to prison for lunch. They want
your votes. They'd better listen to you.
Let's make work of it.
Suffering
November 8, 2011
We have been giving you updates on our friend Larry, suffering from terminal cancer while in prison. Here's the latest from his wife Teri:
Presently Larry is in a hospital in Bakersfield. He was in ICU for 11 days, he was given a tracheotomy and was taken off a ventilator two days ago. Our family was told to go to the hospital the following day. Upon arrival from Orange County, we were met by two guards who said the proper procedures were not followed and we were ordered to leave the hospital. I asked, "How is Larry?" The guard said coldly that he could not give out any information. I called Pleasant Valley State Prison to tell them, and they were sorry but of no help. We aren't even permitted to write letters to the hospital, and Larry is not permitted to use the phone to tell us he's OK. Now he has no voice, due to the trach. He is going to every measure so that I can bring him home on compassionate release. So, when a prisoner is in an outside hospital---even though chained to a bed with two guards in his room---his family cannot visit unless the inmate is hours away from death. I doubt our story warrants a human interest story, because the public doesn't care about prisoners, even innocent ones. I can just hear the conservative responses: "He was judged by his peers and they found him guilty, so justice was served." May they never encounter the corruption of our judicial system. We are in the 6% who didn't take a plea, because Larry is innocent and we believed our justice system to be fair. It's a game of winning at all costs. That's our sad but powerful story. I am now connected with hundreds of families across this fine country of ours fighting the same accusation...no proof, just words.
Broken, yet fighting,
Teri
Cancer
October 13, 2011
Our friend Teri, in
California, has been communicating with us on a regular basis. Her
husband Larry, who claims wrongful conviction and whose position is
supported by HFP's polygraph consultant, is suffering from throat
cancer. That would be terrible under any circumstances, but in prison
the situation becomes that much worse. Now comes this message:
...we can't bring Larry home
unless they grant a compassionate release. He has a staph infection
that is life threatening, so only time will tell. I am praying that God
will deliver him from this isolation and pain. We haven't talked in
weeks. Prison rules. I am hopeful the doctor will speak words of
wisdom, to sign "Do not resuscitate" if it is too late. I am
heartbroken and without words. I am praying, Oh, how I am praying that
he has six months! We can't understand this injustice. I know this
visit with his daughter six weeks ago was a gift. May God's hand
surround him in this time of solitude, as I am not able to communicate
with him. Prison rules. Our family is troubled, we don't understand.
Pray for Larry. He is God's child.
Obviously there's no
quick answer. It's just a tragic situation, and we bring it to your
attention so that you pray, not only for Larry, but for Teri and the
girls, and pray for a compassionate release. Larry belongs home with
his family.
Learning lessons
It's the type of challenge faced daily by this
office.
October 6, 2011
I had written a piece on the HFP blog about prison, simply
asking the question: Is prison the best answer? I had reviewed the
list of sentences in our local newspaper, and found many prison sentences for
things like failure to pay child support, repeat drunk driving violations, and
various drug issues. I believe in prisons, believe that they are
necessary, but don't believe that the prison sentence is a cure-all.
And then I received a response from a guy in Georgia:
I noticed that for those of us who have never
been there before, it (prison) turns you into a worse person if you are not
strong-minded to keep all the negativity out of your way. I had made a
mistake, but it give me an opportunity to see how other people commit crimes
again after they're released. It's quite simple. Instead of learning
your lesson, people gather tips from the old-timers on how to do it better the
next time.
Words from someone who's been there.
Thankful
September 29, 2011
A prisoner wrote a letter this week. He says it was
to thank me for helping him try to get a transfer, but I think he really just
wanted to talk. And it felt like I was just sitting there,
listening.
Today is Sunday and my parents visited me. Though it was
precious seeing them both, I could see the pain and fatigue on their faces and
the stiffness in their weary steps, but also strength and
determination.
Mr. Tjapkes, I told my parents I felt unworthy of such wonderful
people, nor did I deserve all the things that they do for me...visiting,
writing, sending money, accepting phone calls. I asked them not to put
themselves through this struggle any more, but rather, find things that they
enjoy doing with their time. My mother stated quite adamantly: "As
long as I have breath in my body, I will visit you, even if I must
crawl."
I cried hard, and told them how much they meant to me. After
all the roads I've traveled---Viet Nam, dead end streets and finally the
enviable road to prison for a senseless crime I am quite guilty of
committing.
Even after 34 years the pain, hurt and suffering has not
subdued. Even at this late date the consequences have continued to affect
so many. When I lay awake at night reflecting on my life there is so much
pain. So many letters of apology, so many prayers seeking forgiveness, yet
this cloud of despair lingers. Those I love suffer. I cannot imagine
what the victims have gone through or may still suffer.
I have not always accepted full responsibility for my crime.
But since accepting God in my life those changes have taken
place.
Thank you for reaching out to assist me. Also for allowing me
to share with you. I am trusting the Lord to do wonderful things in
my life.
How I wish young people, who may be contemplating a wrong
turn down a destructive road of trouble, could sit down and talk with Mr.
J. How I wish they could all read this letter.
Keeping prisoners on your prayer list is an important part
of the Christian walk. Don't forget Mr. J.
Far from home
September 8, 2011
We frequently receive complaints about the
distance that friends and family must travel to visit inmates, when
there are prisons much closer. One cannot prove that the system
deliberately makes prison visits difficult. Indeed, there is growing
evidence that visits are important for the physical and mental health of
the prisoner, and contribute to rehabilitation. Here's a direct quote
of a letter received in the HFP office recently:
Soon I will
begin my 36th year of confinement. My parents, both in their 80s,
insist upon visiting me regularly, though it is very difficult for them
coming here from Lapeer. My dad has two hearing aids, a bad hip,
balance difficulty and some other illness he won't discuss. My mom has a
heart condition and two replacement knees. The trip here to Ionia is
very taxing and difficult, and yet they come somehow. If your office
could be of any assistance in having me placed at Lapeer in the Thumb
Correctional Facility it would be a blessing. I have been almost two
years mis-conduct free, I'm working as a barber, and I'm a trusted and
model prisoner. I've earned four years of college and have excellent
work reports.
We'll do our best to help Mr. J., but
history and numerous reports from other Michigan prisoners and their
families all seem to indicate that chances for this transfer are slim.
Yet, there are many reasons for the requested transfer, and there
appears to be no good reason to deny the request.
Innocent
September 1, 2011
Evil people in prison hate to hear that someone is truly
innocent, or that someone may have an opportunity to be set free. Often
they will do what they can to try to get the prisoner hoping to be freed into
some kind of trouble to ruin his plans. Or, they will kill or maim
the fortunate prisoner. Years ago, when our organization was still known
as INNOCENT! and when we were still working with prisoners in all states, we
arranged for a lie detector test for a New York prisoner who had a good
story. The leading lie detector expert in the country confirmed that Allen
was, without a doubt, innocent. His legal team is still battling for his
release, and his life has been hell since then. This week he wrote
Doug:
I have a little bad news on my end. I
was stabbed 9 times from behind on July 11, and almost lost my life. But
thank God, I'm all right now. I was taken to an outside hospital for
treatment and stitches. I have to get out of here. Drugs have
destroyed the minds of these guys. I go up for parole consideration again
in just 4 months. I'm praying to get out of here. This is starting
to take its toll on me and my wife.
As you reflect on our BEHIND BARS stories, say a prayer
for Allen.
It ain't easy
August 26, 2011
In a recent letter to HFP:
I have been
going through some tough times. This knuckle-head stabbed me 9 times in
an attempt to kill me, Doug. He's been in prison 30 years, miserable
with nothing and nobody, drug addict. How do you do 30 years in prison
and haven't learned anything? I truly believe my story is going to end
like Maurice Carter's. I think they are going to murder me, Doug,
before I get out. I am telling you, I am scared to death in here. So
many of my healthy friends have suddenly died over the years. I should
have been dead after that stabbing, but God protected me. Thanks for
writing. You keep me strong.
Double jeopardy
August 24, 2011
Dear Humanity For Prisoners:
I am writing to solicit your services to sue the
Michigan Department of Corrections, for failing to provide a reasonably secure
and safe living environment for me while incarcerated.
In April, 2011, I was in a physical altercation
with another inmate. About a month later I was transferred to another
facility. Upon arrival I saw the same inmate. An MDOC policy was
obviously overlooked, as the two of us were to be housed in separate
facilities. Despite numerous appeals to the staff conveying my fears and
worries, my words fell on deaf ears. Sure enough, my fears came true, and
this inmated assaulted me in the upper back with a shank (sharp, home-made
knife). Living in prison is difficult enough without having to
constantly fear for my life.
We provide this story in our on-going series of reports
from behind bars because it is so typical. This is not the first time we
have received this complaint. Mr. A. has exhausted his grievance procedure
and still nothing happens. If what he says is true, he is absolutely
right: It's attorney time.
Can't bear the pain
August 24, 2011
Sometimes the problems seem overwhelming:
Dear Douglas,
I recently wrote you about my problems after my sister called
you.
I'm sorry to tell you this, but I can't take this pain no
more. I can't take it. They are hurting me in here bad, and the only
way to stop the pain is to kill myself. I'm gonna take 100 aspirin, and
hopefully it will end it for me and send me to a better place.
Please call my sister and tell her I love her, and please pray
for me.
We not only prayed for him, we immediately called the warden's
office. At last report, Micael was still alive.
Parents
August 18, 2011
For many behind bars, a part of the pain is simply the fact that they are absentee parents:
On a serious note, my daughter
is pregnant about 18 weeks now. She don't know if she going to keep
it. I told her she have to and God want her to, and she will be a
beautiful mom. It is so hard to know this about your daughter and not
be able to be there for her. I tell her how much I care about her on
the phone and that I will always be there for her. I pray for her every
day. Pray for us. I need to be there for her and for my grandkids.
She is still working, she graduated in June, and is 18 years old.
Pray for Troy
August 2, 2011
I am always touched by the letters that come to us from
death row prisons in any state.
From Troy, on DR, Texas:
I have been on Death Row for over 11 years and
need your help to prove my innocence. I did not do tis murder. I
know everyone says I'm innocent, and most are full of it. But some of us
are truly innocent. There is no DNA in my case, there is no evidence at
all against me, I just had a real bad attorney and was up against a couple of
big names in Texas. I've been here over 11 years and I've never once had
an attorney visit. I don't even know what he looks like. I do know
that I don't have much time left and if I don't get some help fest, quick and in
a hurry, Texas is going to kill me dead.
No single group of prisoners, in our opinion, receive
worse treatment than young men and women who are mentally ill.
The sister of 19 year old Mel is trying to find out how he
is. Here's the information we received today about his
situation.
She is going over a letter just received...he
has been in the hole or solitary since Father's Day or prior to that.
Apparently he got this letter out through another prisoner, as they are not
allowing him any in or out-going mail. Apparently he somehow currently has
lost all of the following or is on these
restrictions: -WATER
RESTRICTION (during this heat wave)
-NO
ELECTRICITY -NO MAIL OR
PAPER -MANY MEALS
BEING DENIED -KITES
BEING RIPPED UP AND DESTROYED IF HE WRITES THEM. We do not know if he has clothes, showers or a
mattress. Mel has suffered from mental illness since he was
very young.
This is not mental health treatment, and those in the
Michigan prison system who inflict this barbaric punishment on the mentally ill
should be punished themselves.
Stay tuned.
Help for a friend
July 26, 2011
God had me to help, and now I need you to look
into helping Mr. K, if you have any time. I did my best.
He has a head injury and has a hard time
reading, writing and comprehending. He is not getting help from health
care. He suffers from chronic liver disesase and chronic leg, back and
neck pain that resulted from an auto accident. He has plates and screws in
his neck from a slip-and-fall accident and suffers constant pain. He is
presently confined to a wheelchair. He was taken off some pain medicine,
and none of the new medications that came to him relieve him of the
pain. He told them that being in the wheelchair is not doing anything for
the pain. Now they want to take the wheelchair from
him.
Requests for helping fellow prisoners are almost always
legitimate. HFP adds the case of Mr. K to the work load, and asks you to
add the name of Mr. K to your prayer list.
Behind bars today
July 22, 2011
In our on-going series of reports Behind Bars, a summary of three letters received today at the HFP office from Behind Bars:
ASSISTANCE NEEDED
Edward
encloses an amazingly well-written 5-page letter to the Michigan ACLU
begging them to look at his case. He says to HFP: I am
writing you to get your approval of this letter. Read it and let me
know if I should send it. Thank you for your cooperation.
What a well-done piece of work.
Of course he should send it!
BAD NEWS
Cory sends this short hand-written note: I
am writing to let you know that the Governor's office has denied my
request for a pardon or commutation of sentence, and for me to reapply
in two years. I thank you for taking time out of your day to help me.
I am writing letters to my PROJECT WINDOW partner and everything is
going good.
Everything
is going good? He is go grateful for our help. We tried so hard.
Other prisoners believed in this man and recommended him to us.
We accomplished nothing. I'm so sorry.
AND THEN, GOOD NEWS
Ann's short note contains a money order for $100 made out to HFP. A small token of thanks for all you do on behalf of so many. When I count my blessings I always count you twice!!!
Mail like this makes it all worth while!
Living in fear
July 19, 2011
Today, another in our on-going series about stories from
behind prison bars. There's a risk with this series. If we tell too
many stories, they become common place and you may pay no attention to them
any more. If we don't tell them enough, you may ignore the plight of
prisoners and forget to keep inmates in your prayers and HFP on your donor
list.
Mr. J. was promised protection by the State of Michigan after he
agreed to testify against a confessed murderer. He lived up to his half of
the deal, and the murderer was locked up for life. But the state didn't
live up to it's half, and Mr. J. now lives in constant fear.
I will not be taken aback by any wrong or mistreatment anyone
wishes to cause me, because I have the lord on my side and he will fight my
battles for me and make me shine in the brightness and lightness of his
wonderful name.
I just got some human waste threw (sic) on me as I was writing
you this letter. I had to start it all over because it was all on the
letter I was writing you. I know my bunkie had something to do with it but
I don't want to make things worse than they are.
I will ask the officer to try to get me some clean laundry for
my bed.
May God bless us all.
Pray for Mr. J. and remember your support of HFP.
Your partnership means the world to us.
Why a prisoner supports HFP
July 6, 2011
Three different prisoners made contributions of
their hard-earned money to HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS in June. We asked them
why?
And here's what Mike said:
In regards to why I personally support
HFP, it's because HFP is flowing abundantly in the three
Cs:
C=CARE
C=CONCERN
C=COMMITMENT.
HFP CARES Because you
extend yourelves to us in prison. This shows others that one-time
strangers have the ability to help and love individuals they had never
known.
HFP demonstrates CONCERN for the
struggles incarcerated people experience within the ebb and flow of prison
life. This also shows incarcerated people to have compassion for others,
no matter who path of life they've come from.
HFP is COMMITTED to take action
in worthy endeavors which is an example that whatever you believe you can
accomplish in life you can.
HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS is a true
blessing to humankind.
Going blind
June 30, 2011
The next installment in our series, Behind bars
I
have been treated for Glaucoma for more than two years now, while
receiving eye exams by the Optometrist every 4-6 months. At each of my
exams, the Optometrist has diagnosed cataracts on both of my eyes. But
I have not been afforded an operation to save me from going blind. And
believe me, the deterioration is happening at a rapid pace! I still
have some vision but it is clouded. I have exhausted the grievance
process with no success. I am 65 years young and serving a life
sentence; can and would you please lend me your assistance in my fight
to save my vision?
Our
Ophthalmologist consultant insists that Mr. M. be evaluated by a member
of his profession, which will be the first hurdle for this prisoner in
Detroit. We'll keep trying, and he'll keep squinting.
Futility
June 24, 2011
Suppose
you were behind bars for nearly 30 years for something you didn't do.
I'm very familiar with that situation, having lived the story of the
release of the late Maurice Carter. If you've read the book SWEET
FREEDOM you're familiar with it, too.
Well, Here's Mr. H. It may sound like double talk to you, but you can't mistake the bitterness in his voice.
I
don't think anyone who is guilty of their crime can even begin to
comprehend or relate to what it really is like to be totally innocent
of a crime and yet to be imprisoned for it. For me, it's like I've
been kidnapped by those who are really supposed to be protecting me
from that kind of crime. And even after 26 years, I'm still being held
captive by my kidnappers, while those law enforcers who are supposed to
be protecting me from the criminal kidnappers leave me to grow and die
in the captivity of my kidnappers. Does this even make sense?
Probably not.
Please
thank my support group for praying for me all these years. God bless
them for even caring about my plight. Obviously prayers haven't done
any good, but there's no need to even mention that.
If you can think of more things that should be told to this prisoner please pass it along.
Meanwhile, we thank you for supporting our organization.
Starting a new day
June 23, 2011
I've always
believed in getting a good start each day. Nutritionists claim that a good
breakfast is important. Preachers claim that devotions are important. Body
builders claim that exercise is important.
In a busy lifestyle it's easy to ignore any or all, but I think we can agree
that it's good to try.
My friend Bee Bee, who has been in prison for 40 years, has a different take on
it. He thinks the right frame of mind is absolutely essential. He
outlined his plan for me in a letter I just opened. It's too good to keep
to myself.
Doug, I have
this ritual I try to follow every morning when I get up, and every evening
before I go to sleep.
I listen to
this one gospel song by Walter Hawkins entitled LIVE IN ME JESUS.
Live in me
Jesus, have your way in me I'll be flesh
for you Jesus If you'll be
spirit for me So live in me
Jesus and have your way in me. I'll be your
legs to walk, I'll be your
mouth to talk, I'll say
whatever you want me to say Lord To show the
world that you love.
With so much
darkness and distraction in the prison environment, this ritual helps to keep
me centered and focused on helping rather than ridiculing.
Tell you what, how's about you and me taking time to follow Bee Bee's pattern
today. And then let's both agree to do more helping and less ridiculing.
Deal?
Why we MUST listen to prisoners
June 22 2011
A quote from a letter to Doug this week
I see young men who I seen (sic) in the car
as babies, in the 90s as I sold their parents crack, in prison with me
now.
Death row
June 17, 2011
Having
worked on Death Row in Texas, I try to report from time to time on the
terrible environment that real, live human beings live in. Quoting
Tony, in a letter to his supporters:
Well,
at least now these pigs have been through my cage and gone! Once
again, the wonderful people who wear the grey for TDC have come and
left their mark, having come through my cage and left it looking like a
hurricane hit. This was one of the worst, at least for my cell.
Almost all of my property was dumped out, then just shoved into a
shelf, papers smashed and photos torn. I tried to point out the
disrespect and damage to a sergeant. He said, "What do you want, for
us to make your bed when we leave?" That is their attitude. We are
nothing to them, not even human, so why should they treat us with
respect. Most of these guards probably treat their pets better than
they treat us...for sure they feed them better. I mentioned before we
were eating cold sacks while the rest of the population got hot meals?
Well, that lasted only a few days, then they gave us hot trays. And
felt like we should get on our knees and praise them for it, like they
were doing us a favor by serving food that can't even be described.
It's
not enough that we lock people up on death row for decades, always
wondering when death is coming. We use other means of torture as well.
Tears
June 16, 2011
The last time I saw Annie in person I had tears in my eyes.
She
and I were pleading with a member of the Mchigan Parole Board. She was
trying to explain to a not-so-sympathetic board member why she should
be paroled. In my opinion she should not have been convicted of this
crime in the first place, but my opinion doesn't count. Her story is a
sad one. Her husband was killed, and she was blamed. As she made her
case, she finally broke down and sobbed. And that's when I discovered
that I was weeping, too.
It
made no difference. The Parole Board wasn't convinced, and she's still
in prison where she has resided for the past 21 years. That's when I
feel so helpless. I was at her side to help her. Yet the two of us
were not persuasive enough. I failed.
And
yet this week a small greeting card arrived in the HFP mail box. It
was a Father's Day card from Annie. And inside the card, these
hand-written words: Forever, thank you.
Tears again.
1st time
June 13, 2011
Some
of our reports from behind prison bars have been terrible. Today, on
the surface, this doesn't seem like a terrible situation. Yet,
it's breaking the hearts of the parents of this young man. It's the
first prison experience for the young inmate as well as his parents.
Last
week he informed his parents that he was purposely trying to get
written up for a minor violation which would send him to segregation.
Why would he do that, he was asked. He explained that it would get him
out of his cell for a while, and that he was hoping to get assigned to
a different cell upon his release.
Seems that conditions have been getting unbearable in his cell:
-His cell-mate is a 300 lb. skinhead who spends his entire day yelling obscenities and racial slurs;
-He
is diabetic and because of potential problems he is not supposed to be
in a top bunk because of the danger of falling, but no one cares;
-He
snores, so every time he falls asleep the guy in the lower bunk reaches
up and punches the mattress, reducing his sleep time to a couple hours
a night;
-His mind is completely idle. He has nothing to do: no classes, no job, no library visits;
-He
believes he has a shoulder problem, and can raise his arm only
halfway. The prison doctor laughed when he requested an X-Ray, said it
was probably stress, and told him to get back to his cell.
No matter how you look at it, 'tain't nice behind bars.
HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS, doing its best on this side of the bars to advocate for the least of these.
Seeing Light
June 6, 2011
Even behind bars, prisoners occasionally find a happy
moment. In this on-going series of glimpses of life in prison, it's
important that we share the good times with you as well as the bad times.
And that is the case today.
It was time for the weekly telephone call from my friend Big
Ben, in a Michigan
prison. The phone rang on time.
I've got a special story to share with you, man.
When I was 19 years old I fell in love back on the east
coast. But then I caught this charge when I was 22, and we never got
married. I went to prison for the rest of my life. I lost touch
with her.
You'll never guess what happened.
I located my girl friend this week in another state. I asked
someone to see if she would be willing to talk. I was so glad that
she was open to the idea, and I called her on the telephone. She's
64 now, and single again. I'll be 60 in July. Her voice still
sounds the same. We had so much to talk about. And you're not going to
believe this. After 38 years, she's still just as crazy about me as I am
about her! God is good.
Big Ben has been in prison for almost 40 years, living a life of
regret that the law meant so little to him when he was a renegade kid.
He's an outstanding Michigan
citizen, regularly corresponding with state officials about prison conditions,
the state budget and other important issues. He's a model prisoner
and and it's a part of his life to do things for others. I can think
of no prisoner who is more deserving of this warm and bright shining moment.
My life as an advocate for prisoners was touched by his story this
morning.
You're absolutely right, Big Ben. God is good.
Behind bars
May 27, 2011
Our mail flow slows down as we near the end of the month. But the pleas for help NEVER slow down.
As we continue our series of glimpses behind bars, here's a peek at matters that crossed our desk in the past few days.
A friend reports Lee's mom has died. A
lifer in the Michigan prison system, he may not attend the funeral
service today, even though he's in a wheelchair and a threat to no one.
Policy is policy.
A worker reports that Mr. H. is
suffering excruciating leg, back and foot pain because the orthotic arch
supports which had been prescribed for him were thrown away by prison
staffers. So far grievances haven't helped.
A mother reports that due to medicine
imbalances, her mentally challenged son became angry when teased by
mental health caseworkers and tore up his cell. For some reason, he now
faces weapons charges. Meanwhile, his medical records are still
missing.
A friend reports that Mr. D is frantic
with worry. His daughter, on the outside, has been diagnosed with brain
cancer. He wants to find effective treatment. He longs to be at her
side during this worrisome time. He feels helpless.
But, all of these people are incarcerated. And life is just not the same BEHIND BARS.
Mentally ill
May 23, 2011
We often hear about inappropriate treatment of prisoners who are mentally challenged.
In 2008 we tried to help a mentally ill young man who allegedly did
not properly obey orders, and so he claimed he was beaten while
shackled in bed. The State Police investigated but didn't get far
because it was one person's word vs. another person, and guess who the
cops believed? But Mr. J did suffer injuries, and claimed pain, also,
when he said the guards subdued him by grabbing his private parts. We
hadn't heard from him since our efforts on his behalf at that time.
Then this week came a new message from another prisoner, asking us to
help Mr. J...the same Mr. J, it turns out, who is now in a different
facility, but still mentally ill. My son said the officers
tried choking him and assaulted him, they left him on observation much
longer than I have ever heard, and then would not feed him during the
day shift. Every day we hear about another mentally ill prisoner who is way over-medicated or is being assaulted or something.
Behind bars
May 20, 2011
In our ongoing series of talking about the lives of
real people who reside in Michigan prisons, we focus on a guy who wishes he
could relive his childhood. As a kid he was involved in a horrible
crime, but that was almost 40 years ago. He's a grownup now, with a mature
mind and a healthy outlook. Even though he is behind bars, he has decided
to make something of his life, to do something for others, and to never give
up.
But in our discussions this week, these are the
things contributing to his present state of mind:
-his potential freedom faces
strong opposition from all sides including judge, Prosecutor and victim's family
members
-a dear family member died
and he couldn't be there
-he no longer hears from someone
close to him and he doesn't know why
-tragedy occurred in a
family setting, and there was nothing he could do.
Any one of these issues would send you or me into a
tailspin. Mix them all together and imagine how you would feel. Then
imagine how helpless a person in seclusion must feel.
Please use this message to remind you, once again,
that every individual in prison is more than a statistic. Behind that ID
number is a name, a face, a person created in the image of God whose body and
soul house the same hurts, feelings, emotions, dreams and heartbreaks that you
and I encounter in our lives. Remember prisoners in your prayers.
Remember those who interact with those prisoners with your prayers and your
contributions.
Nobody deserves this
May 11, 2011
In our continuing effort to tell you what's going on
behind Michigan prison bars, we quote from a woman who visited her
friend in prison last week.
Because my friend is in segregation, our
visit was non-contact with a window between us. The first thing I
noticed was a long scratch on his nose with a sore beside it. The
facility made Mr. V. share a cell with a man who is a habitual sexual
offender and who has a history of several misconducts while in prison.
He was then raped by his cellmate. The inspector at the prison
tried to bribe Mr. V. into admitting it was consensual sex, by offering
him a transfer. He refused. Then a woman came to see him offering him
an immediate transfer to any prison he wanted if he would say it was
consensual sex. Again, he refused. His attorney has sent a letter to
the warden, the director of the MDOC and the Attorney General. He has
not eaten in 10 days. He told me he couldn't take any more of what they
are doing to him. I could see his body shaking while he was holding
the phone.
Mr. V. believes that the MDOC's lack of care for him
goes back to the fact that he has filed suit against the state. Stay
tuned.
Another chapter, prison life
May 10, 2011
One of
our goals at HFP is to give you a glimpse of what's going on behind bars.
Simple issues for you or me become major matters for inmates.
ACCESS
CORRECTIONS of Missouri has an agreement with the MDOC to provide prison
stores with MP3 music players, and to sell us the music for these players for
$1.48 per song. The warranty on the player is 30 days. After that,
ACCESS makes no provision for repairing the players and neither does the
MDOC.
My MP3
broke a few weeks ago. When I bent over the female jack broke off the
circuit board, so now I've got a player with 481 songs on it that I cannot
listen to. To repair a jack with a little solder would seem to be a relatively
minor thing outside of prison, but here we don't have access to a soldering gun
or other tools. So, if a player breaks and the prisoner wants to listen
to music he's paid for, he or she will have to pay that same company
about $129 for a new player. ACCESS is the only company that Michigan prisoners
can buy from, so it has a monopoly.
I paid
for everything, but can listen to nothing. Maybe you could bring this to
someone's attention.
Maybe.
To avoid stereotyping
May 5, 2011
I guess we all have our own ideas about what prisoners are
like, how they think and what they do each day.
I just received a letter from a friend in prison.
See how this matches up to your thoughts.
I wish you could see this play we're doing at
the facility. It's titled "BEFORE I FORGET," based on a book that the
Detroit Library sent to us. The play is an adaptation that my bunkie
re-created. Our first night received a "two thumbs up" with the general
population. This week we commence with the youth offender audience.
Later for the staff, the administrators, warden and the author of the
book.
I'm still working on a date to get you here to
speak, Doug.
I'm so busy. I'm in the final stages of
completing an 11-college-course curriculum for the youth offender program.
I work 8-10 hours in the laundry facility; I assist the leader in the
music ministry with praise and worship; and, I'm working on a website with
my family. Some days I get only 3-4 hours of sleep, but I'm in
purpose!
Before I forget, I would like to tithe your
church this month, or maybe HFP.
Sounds more like a guy one might enjoy working
with than a hardened criminal.
Conditions for women in prison
May 3, 2011
So you think women in prison got it pretty good?
Three squares a day. Free lodging. TV.
In the latest letter to HUMANITY FOR
PRISONERS:
The suicides and the attempts are a big issue
here! In all the 21 years I have been in prison I have never lived in
these conditions, nor have I ever been treated the way we are by staff and
officers and administration. I live in a cell that was made for one person
and has a toilet, and two people living in it. No desk, one chair..I am
typing sitting on the top bunk. Everything is a fight here, from getting
your medication, to showering, to using the phone. As for appropriate
psychiatric care, it seems to me that medication is the answer for any
problems. Since the suicides the procedure is "if you can't take it" or
"you have had enough" you are locked up in observation. We are going to be
retaliated against if we make a big fuss. I am at a loss what to
do.
All this from a person who shouldn't be there.
Your continued support of HFP means you are trying to do
something about it, through the knitting program, through Project
Window, through commutation assistance, through prison visits and
through other avenues of advocacy. Thanks to you, we continue to try to
offer hope. Help this needy woman by helping us this
month.
Fearing for his life
March 10, 2011
Mr. J. is afraid. I've talked about this friend of HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS before. There's an update. This week he was informed by fellow prisoners that there's a $20,000 contract on his life. Now he doesn't even dare go for a walk in the prison yard.
Here's why Mr. J. is in this predicament.
His conscience bothered him so much that he violated a code among prisoners: He squealed.
He told me that he heard a fellow prisoner boast
about killing a woman, but he said he couldn't take it any more when the
man laughed about it. He contacted the Genesee County Prosecutor's
office. A deal was struck that if Mr. J. would tell his story in court,
the state would give strong consideration to reducing his sentence to
credit for time served. The implication was that for putting another
man in prison he would be freed. He's been in prison for nearly 30
years of a life sentence. He's 58 years of age, and all he can dream
about his freedom. Well, Mr. J lived up to his end of the deal: He
testified in court, and the suspect is behind bars. The Prosecutor's
office told HFP that Mr. J. did a wonderful job, and thanks to him the
killer was arrested and a jury convicted him. But guess what. The
state is having second thoughts about living up to its end of the deal.
Mr. J. remains in prison, and a prosecutor's office that is responsible
for asking for his freedom has indicated that it is no longer
interested.
And so, after a period of time, the inevitable
happened. The word about Mr. J. finally leaked out to other prisoners,
and this week fellow inmates in his own facility received a cruel letter
from a prisoner in another facility. These men are angry, and they're
bent on getting even.
Mr. J. told me he's living in fear.
Unscrupulous people who made the deal and now refuse
to live up to it apparently think nothing of it. They can still go
home at the end of the day, enjoy time with family and friends, and
frolic in a free society.
