Lest We Forget: Honoring Those Who Died in Michigan Prisons

Every year, men and women die while incarcerated in Michigan prisons. Some are remembered by loved ones waiting on the outside. Others die alone, with no family or friends left to claim their remains.

Humanity for Prisoners believes every human life has value, dignity, and worth, regardless of incarceration status. That belief is at the heart of a new memorial service initiative currently being developed by HFP leadership, volunteers, and community partners.

The proposed service, titled “Lest We Forget,” would honor the lives of incarcerated individuals who died in the custody of the Michigan Department of Corrections over the past year.

According to information recently obtained through a FOIA request, 140 people died in Michigan prison custody last year alone. Of those individuals, 32 reportedly had no one claim their remains. Their ashes were buried in a private cemetery, often referred to as “Potter’s Field,” located on prison grounds in Jackson.

For HFP Founder Doug Tjapkes, the project is deeply personal.

“For the past three decades I have been working with men and women who live behind bars,” Doug recently wrote. “As the founder of Humanity for Prisoners, it has been my goal to produce an annual memorial service for those persons who died in custody in the previous year.”

Planning discussions for the memorial service are now underway, with support from community members, faith leaders, and filmmaker, who is exploring the possibility of filming the service as part of a future video presentation.

The developing service format includes readings, reflections, music, moments of silence, and recognition of the lives lost behind prison walls. One portion of the service may include a meditation acknowledging the realities of incarceration and death in custody in both Michigan and across the United States.

The initiative also incorporates the work of incarcerated writer Justin Cantwell, whose poem “If I Died Today” reflects on the fear of being forgotten: “If I died today, would anyone remember my face, or would I just fade away without a trace?”

At Humanity for Prisoners, our mission has always been grounded in one simple message: You Matter.

This memorial initiative extends that message to individuals whose lives may otherwise go unseen, unrecognized, or forgotten.

Additional details regarding the memorial service will be shared as planning continues.