I'm third

Ages ago, when I was a kid attending summer camp, the YMCA's popular Camp Pendalouan had a slogan that I never forgot: I'm third. The counselors used to explain it this way to us: God first, the other fella second, I'm third. Good theology, really: Summary of the law; Golden Rule. And just plain, common sense...good advice.

The slogan came to mind this week when a prisoner resisted what I thought was rather gentle advice, and pretty much told me that with friends like me he didn't really need any enemies.

I'm sad about that, because no camp counselor ever repeated the slogan "I'm third" to him as a kid, apparently. I say that because, to hear him talk, he's first.

In all fairness, prisoners probably get a better rating than the people you and I meet on the street in our everyday lives. We meet many people who think that way. I can think of only three instances in the past 15 years, in dealing with prisoners, where I have had a real falling out. And it was over the same issues: an individual felt that he was number one, his problems and issues were number one, and my priorities in dealing with those matters didn't seem to match up.

One of the reasons this makes me sad is because Mr. F, Mr. D and Mr. H missed out on such an important part of life. When you make yourself number one, you have no thoughts at all about anyone else...and so you have no thoughts about caring for them, trying to help them, or praying for them.

Camp Pendalouan had it right: the camp slogan is as good today as it was then, both inside and outside of prison. It'll ensure a happy life. It's a good way to live. It's a Godly way to behave.

It's important for me to remember, daily, as I work among these beautiful people.

I am, indeed, third.

Don't take good health for granted

A very nice woman sent me a sad letter from her prison cell recently. She's feeling alone, can see no light at the end of the tunnel, wonders whether she'll ever get out, sees no positive action, and finds that she no longer believes or trusts people. There's not much chance that she would ever be considered for release for medical reasons because, as she put it, she's healthy.

Not having been incarcerated, I absolutely cannot identify with her feelings of despair.

But here's what I had to offer, after reading her letter:

Even though it was a letter of justified complaints, I felt compelled to respond to the shortest sentence of your letter: I'm healthy. As you may recall, an attack by a staph infection in the spring of 2010 prevented me from making that statement for the rest of that year. I'm not one to focus on my ailments and infirmities. I'm feeling amazingly good again, but I'll never fully recover...not after losing my ability to swallow, losing 65 pounds, nearly losing my life several times, and getting my nourishment from a feeding tube for 6 months. But I must tell you that after sitting here day after day thinking I've never been so sick, thinking that I've never experienced such severe pain, and wondering if my mind would ever be clear again, I will NEVER take good health for granted. It's a gift, I love it, and it's up to me to make the very best of it. And so must you. Many individuals and groups in your facility are doing good things for others, and that's really what we gotta do. You are such a wonderful person, just offering your friendship and kindness to another person is huge.

Keep prisoners like Ms. D in your prayers.

Are wrongful convictions real?

You bet they are!

A recent joint announcement from Northwestern University's Law School and the University of Michigan revealing a new and complete list of all persons who have been exonerated once again focused our attention on wrongful convictions. Here in the HFP office, it's in our face every day.

I can give you the names of three prisoners who, right now, are sitting in their cells asking the question, "How can this be? I'm innocent, but I'm sitting in prison!"

One of these inmates has just learned that his last legal recourse has been exhausted. There's nothing else to try. All doors have closed. So jump in my shoes for a minute. What do you tell this guy? "Just trust in the Lord, because he has other plans for you?" He's a man of faith, but don't think for a minute that he doesn't have questions.

One of these inmates just learned that the innocence project that claimed to be working on his case has dropped it. He's indigent, has no family, and now has no help. What do we tell this guy?

And one of these inmates is learning that he may not have the necessary evidence left in his files to prove his innocence. Attorneys are saying if something can be found, perhaps something can be done. If not, he may be stuck behind bars.

Just imagine the feelings of helplessness that must overwhelm these three individuals. They are not just statistics. They have names, they are relatively young and could have a life ahead of them, they have feelings and emotions and hopes and dreams. But the hopes and dreams are fading.

In short, the system isn't perfect.

In conclusion, here's a specific prayer request: please remember those behind bars who have been wrongly convicted. All of these stories will not have happy endings.

On entertaining angels unawares

I confess that I often focus on a verse in Hebrews that says, "Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners." And I often overlook the verse just ahead of it: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some people have entertained angels without knowing it."

I was reminded of that as I sat with my cup of coffee on this Monday morning, reflecting on the weekend.

Mark is a New York businessman, arguably wrongly convicted, who resides in a nearby prison. In his email message to me, he shared that his daughter, a college student in Oregon, was coming to Muskegon for a visit. It would be their first in 3 years.

That may not seem like a big deal, except that there are no prison visiting hours on Saturday. This means that Kelsey would be able to visit her dad late Friday after her arrival, all day Sunday, and on Monday before her departure. Saturday would be spent in a hotel room.

That seemed wrong, especially when one factors in perfect weather conditions and the spring beauty of our area of western Michigan.

I could think of no better people to contact than daughter Cindy and her husband Lee. After all, the Ingersolls provided the warm hospitality in their beautiful home for Maurice Carter on his first days of freedom. It was the bed in their guest room that prompted Maurice to describe his first night of rest "like sleeping on a cloud."

Well, I was able to provide some of the transportation for Kelsey. Having a friend take you from point A to point B is so much nicer than relying on a paid taxi driver. And Cindy and Lee responded in true Ingersoll fashion: hamburgers cooked on the grille, a stroll on Grand Haven's popular south pier, and dipping bare feet in the icy, clear waters of Lake Michigan.

Kelsey now has good friends in Michigan, we have a new friend in Portland, and Mark has a taste of Dutch hospitality.

Actual response to BOTH Hebrews passages.

On soldiers on the battlefield

I have such great respect for former prisoners who survive re-entry. That may sound extreme, but until you've gone through the experiences of re-entry, you have no idea what these people face. Amy Frykholm, author of the 2010 book THE NEW JIM CROW, says, "Those released from prison are trapped in a legal second-class status for life."

I had heard that my friend Michael was experiencing some problems. I had been personally involved in helping him to obtain a parole.

Like many ex-prisoners on tethers, he had probems with the system. These former prisoners carry a box and when their tether fails to dispatch an adequate signal to the state, they must get into a clearing where a satellite signal finally gives tham an OK. It is not uncommon for a prisoner to stand outside in all types of weather for up to an hour or more, hoping to get the box cleared. And there's nothing they can do about it. Failure to do so will mean no signal, which is a violation of parole, and the threat of being returned to prison.

A passerby damaged Michael's black box, right after he complained to his Parole Officer about its malfunction. Naturally he was blamed for the damage, and over this issue he was returned to prison. It was a violation of parole.

Well, he's out again...still good-natured, still happy to be free, and rather than spending time talking about his problems he wants to know how I'm doing. He knows that I had undergone a severe health crisis. On being informed that I'm feeling fine, Michael exclaimed, "God is good!"

I told him that I'm back on the job, working every day.

"A soldier on that battlefield," said Michael.

And so are you, Michael. So are you.

Advances in Criminology That May Prevent Wrongful Imprisonments By Angela Matson

For many years, prosecutors have relied on both physical evidence and eyewitness testimony to pursue their cases against accused criminals. Since the US Constitution guarantees that the accused is “innocent until proven guilty,” prosecutors must create a compelling chain of evidence to persuade jurors to convict defendants, especially those accused of violent crimes. However, as technology advances, a growing number of those incarcerated being incarcerated are being exonerated.

Numerous advances in technology and psychology have enabled prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges and jurors to gain a clearer picture into the crime scene. These advances are also becoming important resources for criminology colleges who are looking to train the legal professionals of the future. These new techniques have allowed those wrongfully accused to be exonerated, and those mistakenly imprisoned to be set free.

DNA Evidence

The biggest source of forensic evidence that both reduces and overturns wrongful convictions is DNA evidence. Thousands of previous convictions have been overturned on the basis of DNA evidence. Further advances in DNA testing technology have reduced the time to return test results from as much as eight weeks to as little as forty-eight hours. As the understanding of the human genome grows each year, forensic scientists will also be able to detect specific genetic markers which can eliminate potential suspects and reduce the probability of a wrongful conviction.

One of the most notable overturned convictions came in the case of the beating and rape of a woman in 1989. Three young men were tried and convicted in the famous “Central Park Jogger” case. In 2002, a judge overturned the convictions of Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana Jr. and Antron McCray after DNA evidence cleared them of the crime. The DNA evidence also pointed to the true attacker, Matias Reyes, who was later convicted in the attack.

Forensic Science Standards

According to the Innocence Project, a non-profit group that deals with the issue of wrongful convictions, about half of the convictions later overturned due to DNA evidence were the product improper forensic evidence procedures. Some of the previous forensic procedures, such as hair analysis, bite mark matching and ballistics testing, have not undergone the scientific rigor of DNA testing.

In order to standardize forensic practices, several states, including Texas, New York and Virginia, have developed forensic science commissions. These commissions also investigate cases where local forensic investigators have either mistakenly or maliciously manipulated potentially exculpatory evidence. The National Academy of Science has also recommended the formation of a similar committee to codify forensic evidence procedures on a federal level.

Wrongful Conviction Statistics

The Innocence Project has also compiled a series of statistics on wrongful convictions:

• Since 2000, 222 convictions have been overturned by DNA evidence.
• Of the 289 defendants exonerated by DNA evidence, 180 were African-Americans
• The most exonerations occurred in Texas (44), followed by Illinois (41) and New York (27).

Advances in technology in the criminology field, combined with higher public awareness, have shown that the potential for wrongful convictions appears to be on the decline. As the science of genetic testing continues to grow, the legal system must catch up to insure that innocent defendants remain free and that the true perpetrators are brought to justice.

Grammy loved prisoners

Early on Sunday morning, Mother's Day, as I think of my own mom, words to the old hymn OTHERS come to mind: Lord, help me live from day to day in such a self forgetful way, that even when I kneel to pray, my prayer shall be for others.

Friends, relatives and family members of Mary Tjapkes were never forgotten, especially at times for birthdays or special need. There were hand-written notes, greeting cards and even baked goods. At the time of her funeral, we heard from people we had never met who at one time or another had been touched by my mother's kndness.

And so it was only natural that she had a love for prisoners. After all, Jesus demanded it.

She established a relationship with a prisoner by mail that lasted for some time. Naturally he was grateful for her kindness and generosity, and he reciprocated as best he could. Even back then, she told me of terrible conditions in the Michigan prison system, and the shameful manner in which prisoners were treated. But then came the major heart-break of getting emotionally involved with the least of these. One day, the letters stopped. After a period of time, Mom decided to get to the bottom of the story. She called the facility, only to be bluntly informed that the inmate had died. No details, no nothing. She said the man had no family, so she had no idea what happened after his death. She could find out nothing about his passing. She knew he had been frightened, so perhaps he lost his life in a violent manner. She never found out.

Maybe my mother's concern for and interest in prisoners started me on this journey. It certainly helped.

I pay tribute today to a very special mom, and grandmother, and great grandmother.

She touched many people.

Come to think of it, she still is.