About Human Writes
Human Writes has a team of office holders managing the organisation and helping both writers and prisoners. Within this team we have State Co-ordinators for each US state that has the death penalty.
Many of our co-ordinators have counselling experience, they are a friendly team and are expert about the rules affecting their state’s Death Row and keeping updated with events there. Throughout your membership your co-ordinator will be your main point of contact within Human Writes and he/she will be able to give help, advice and support to both you and your penfriend. We also have trained counsellors available to help you through any difficult times you may encounter, such as losing a penfriend to execution.
We publish a magazine every four months which will keep you up to date with Human Writes news and individual US state updates from our co-ordinator team. The magazine also contains other features including essays, poetry and writing from many of the death row prisoners across the US. You will receive two copies of the magazine - one for you to keep and one for your US penfriend.
Human Writes holds annual conferences. Our speakers have included US lawyers, family members of death row prisoners, US prison wardens, exonerated prisoners and also victims' family members. Conferences, and our other less formal social events/regional groups, are an excellent opportunity to meet other writers and to share your experiences.
All office holders work on a voluntary basis. Human Writes is self-supporting and our membership fees simply help towards our central costs.
In a Death Row prisoner‘s own words:
“Julian is the most wonderful person I have ever had as a penfriend and I am really grateful that you brought us together. He is trying to teach me your English cricket – what a bewildering game it is!”
“Julian is the most wonderful person I have ever had as a penfriend and I am really grateful that you brought us together. He is trying to teach me your English cricket – what a bewildering game it is!”
Human Writes Patrons
"The very essence of the death penalty is to tell people that they are somehow sub-human, not fit to live. Yet even those people I have represented who did what they were accused of - a surprisingly limited number - have always been much better people than their worst fifteen minutes, as are we all. Those who recognise this by reaching out to the men and women on death row are true heroes, though I suspect they gain as much as they give to the relationship."
Clive Stafford Smith OBE, Founder of Reprieve and Patron, Human Writes
"As a journalist who has lived and worked in the United States, the horror of death row is one of the issues that never leaves you. The thread of humanity that Human Writes manages to sustain with men and women on death row is a profound contribution to keep alive the hope of life. Capital punishment is now on the retreat in America, but the numbers awaiting their fate are still very considerable. I am very honoured to have become a Patron of Human Writes and will hope to do my best to put my shoulder to the wheel".
Jon Snow Broadcaster and journalist, Patron, Human Writes
"I know what it is like to live in a cell for decades and feel that the whole world hates you. I never expected to be able to live again as a contributing member of a community. Prison life was precarious and unpredictable but I met people who worked there who wanted to help me and people like me - and I'm lucky that I live in a society graceful enough to offer me a second chance. At least I had hope. Hope for many of the people supported by Human Writes has all but been extinguished. Letters to people on Death Row let them know that however low they may have fallen, they are still human beings. They still have value and are worth caring about and letters might just help to keep hope alive. That is why I am honoured to have been invited to be a patron."
Erwin James 1957 - 2024, author and Guardian columnist, Patron, Human Writes
Prisoner Art and Writing
"The volunteers of Human Writes seek to hold out the hand of friendship to men and women facing the death penalty. I am pleased to encourage them in their writing"
Most Reverend and Rt Hon George L Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury
"No matter its circumstances, dying is one of the most important things we ever do. I applaud all who offer compassion and hope to those facing death, especially in the terrible circumstances of Death Row. May God bless your work."
His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster