June 7, 2008
Immediate Release
LOCAL PRISONER ADVOCATE RECEIVES AWARD
A western Michigan man was honored at the annual commencement exercises of Western Michigan Christian High School in Muskegon Friday night.
Doug Tjapkes, President of Humanity for Prisoners, was presented the Distinguished Alumni Award by school board president David Landheer. Tjapkes graduated from WMCHS in 1954.
Promotions Committee Chair Gary Veurink, who made the introduction, said the alumnus chosen for the honor must have made a difference in the workplace, world, community, church or home.
Tjapkes was the founder of INNOCENT in 2001, which was later renamed Humanity for Prisoners. It's a prisoner advocacy agency, based in Muskegon, that works to establish more humane treatment for those within corrections systems around the country.
Said Veurink: "His commitment to truth and presenting Christ's love through action, and not just talk, has touched many lives. He has been willing to stand on death row, and associate with the downtrodden and outcast, and has been a friend to the families of those wrongly convicted." He said Tjapkes was presented the award because of his compassion for prisoners and his tenacity in doing this work.
Tjapkes is the author of the book SWEET FREEDOM. He and his wife Marcia have four grown children and eight grandchildren and reside in Spring Lake.
Humanity for Prisoners is a 501c3 organization based in western Michigan but serving all 50 states as an advocate for prisoners, especially those claiming wrongful conviction. The agency is assisted by a battery of professional volunteers including lawyers, paralegals, physicians, social workers and private investigators, and is supported by contributions and grants. It has three web sites, and hopes to initiate a regular internet broadcast in the near future.
A goal of HFP is to establish a network of chapters in each state.
Humanity for Prisoners
20 W. Muskegon Ave.
Muskegon, MI 49440
www.humanityforprisoners.org
