In the Fall of 2009, at the request of Fr. Joe, representatives of Seton Hall School of Law (Newark, N.J.) contacted HMI about the possibility of drilling a water well for the Jeremie prison. At the time, no one in either HMI or the law school knew the extent of the dire situation in which the prison found itself. The water supply to the city was already overtaxed so the prison was constantly strained to find water for all the common needs – cooking, cleaning and drinking. As one can imagine, in the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, the plight of prisoners is not of uppermost concern.  

Water was located 35 feet below the surface of the prison which is the shallowest well HMI has ever drilled! We thought that this would be all that was needed, and we moved on to other drill sites with joy in our hearts knowing that the prison now at least had a good water supply. 

 

Then the earthquake of January 12, 2010, enters the mix. The horror of this event is well known by all. This earthquake along with the prison well became the catalyst for the HMI prison ministry. The earthquake created much more interest in the work of HMI. In a miraculous way an attorney from Covington, Louisiana, made a mission trip with HMI after the earthquake to Jeremie and he is responsible for the beginnings of the HMI prison ministry. Through his early efforts, HMI has given both material and spiritual help to countless prisoners over the years. HMI has continued to advocate for improvements in the living conditions in the prison with the prison administration. 

As part of the Corporal Works of Mercy, each time a mission trip is taken to Haiti, the group goes to the prison to visit the prisoners and feed them the most substantial meal that they receive. The inmates are allowed to leave their cells and briefly visit us as they receive the love and concern that is represented by this small gift. This occurred over a ten-year period approximately 2 to 3 times per year and in addition we tried to throw a “Prison Christmas Party” once a year in December so that the prisoners knew they were not forgotten. 

The category 4 hurricane Matthew in October 2016 which hit Jeremie directly destroyed much of the prison and made life unimaginable once again for the prisoners. HMI was able to get some emergency funding to make the repairs, especially to the roof to ensure that the prisoners were able to get out of their cells regularly each day.   

In 2021, a generous donor offered a $5,000 matching donation to raise money restricted to feeding the prisoners. In 2022 & 2023, HMI was able to feed the prisoners 10 times (5 months each year) for a total of 4500 meals. We have not been able to return to Haiti on a mission trip since June of 2023, however in 2024, HMI fed the prisoners 7 months, and HMI hopes to continue to feed the prisoners a minimum of every other month.

There are approximately 450 prisoners each month. The meals cost HMI $3.00 per person, so the total cost is around $1,350 each time we feed the prisoners. These meals are made possible by a few monthly donors and an additional $500 is added each month by the HMI General Fund.

  

Even though the conditions are far from acceptable, the HMI efforts have made life much more hopeful and bearable for many of the unfortunate people who find themselves incarcerated in the Jeremie prison

If you would like to become a regular donor or make a one-time contribution, please click on the donation tab and choose Prison Ministry. “Be mindful of prisoners as if sharing their imprisonment”. Hebrews 13: 1-8

Thank you for your generous support!