07/02/2026
My alarm clock went off at 2:00 a.m.
I shut it off praying for what we would be facing that day.
We were still in Miami, FL.
I had met Carlot the night before, planning to fly with him into Cap-HaĂŻtien to visit a prison. Carlot is the founder of Saving Life Ministries.
As the sun rose, we glided thru the clouds into Haiti on Sunrise Air.
We prayed that we could be a help to the prisoners.
It had been three years since I was last in a Haitian prison. I felt like I knew what to brace for âbut when I arrived, I was not prepared for the actuality of depravity before us.
These men are caged up, many in the prime of their lives, blank looks on most of their faces. There were men, boys, and women with no hope, no lawyers, and no family to stand behind them.
Guyteau picked us up at the airport in Cap-HaĂŻtien, then we drove about 30 minutes to the prison. This particular one holds around 800 inmates, including women and teens, but mostly young men in the prime of their lives.
As we backed our trucks into the very tight courtyards, passing through several gates, we had to give up our driverâs licenses & one cell phone per vehicle. Our vehicles were checked to be sure no one was hiding inside. We were also asked to wear shirts with our ministry logo. I was the only white man among 800 prisoners and 10 staff members.
Preparing to enter the prison begins days before. The men in charge buy drinks, chicken, vegetables, and rice, then bring everything back to thaw. The ladies prepare the chicken ahead of timeâit is a several-day process. We brought the rice into the prison kitchen to prepare huge batches in large pots. We also provided ice with cold sodas for each inmate, which is a rare treat unless a family member brings one.
The guards are very strict about using cell phones to take pictures, so we had to be discreetly careful.
First, we unloaded a full pickup truck bed of protein powder shakes, which will hopefully last each prisoner about one month if they use one scoop with water per day.
We also brought in literature from Life Literature, including songbooks, study books, and Bibles, which we handed out to those who seemed sincere and able to read.
Several staff members, pastors, and I went door to door, preaching the gospel and handing out literature. We prayed and sang songs with the inmates, many of which they knowingly loved singing along with us.
These individuals are behind steel caged doors and windows. They constantly call out to us, asking for just a little somethingâmoney or anything we might have in our pockets. Many showed us their medical conditions or their bare feet, explaining they had no shoes. Most were shirtless, having sold their clothing in exchange for other necessities.
As I put my face close to one of the gates, a strong stench from too many bodies in one room took my breath away. I had to step back for fresh air. I counted 48 men in a small room, roughly 15 by 25 feet. They all sat in rows on flip-flops or clothing on the floor. It was so crowded that they had to sit in the same direction in neat rows, or it would be impossible for everyone to sit at once.
They use buckets for sewage in the corner of the room, which sometimes do not get emptied in time and overflow. I told one man that my cows at home are treated better than these human beings. :(
The hardest moment was at the far end of the prison. We came to a room to pray, shocked to realize it was filled with young boysâmy sonâs ageâbetween 10 to 14 years old. Their eyes were desperately sad. They are locked in that small room for 23 hours a day. I cannot imagine boys with that much energy, in the prime of their youth, being confined like that with nothing creative to stimulate their minds. Their eyes looked incredibly dull.
They begged for anything. Many notes were writtenâstacks and stacks of them. Some were written in English, begging for a little money to buy medicine, shoes, or a lawyer. Many notes were very kind, many were thankful that we came. It was a special day for them to receive a good meal with meat, rice, and beans together, which is very rare.
Each prisoner has a dish with his name carved into itâusually a plastic container. Containers are brought from each cell, filled, and then returned so each person receives his own meal. This day we gave them chicken, rice, beans, sauce, and a little tomato with onion.
The prison has two levels. The men on the upper level lower ropes with bags tied to them, begging us to put anything inside. We gave small amounts of money to a few men, but it is very difficult and must be done discreetly, or everyone begins begging. It feels overwhelmingly a hopeless no-win situation.
It is just sad to see these men, in the prime of their lives, locked away with almost nothing to do. I asked whether many had court dates or lawyer? The answer was very few do. Their system I do not understand. Some do get out eventually, often begging for money to survive once they return to the streets.
We were taken to a sick room where about 40 men were crowded into a small space. All had some form of illness or physical deformity. Many had serious eye problems needing medical attention. We are trying to get a doctor involved. Many were willing to show us their hernias and swollen body parts. You leave shaking your head, knowing you cannot help them all.
Yet every time we go in, some people turn to the Lord and give their hearts to Him. We are trying to build relationships with key men inside the prison who can continue nurturing others when we are not there. There are believers inside who are on fire for the Lord, grateful to receive a Bible and songbook. We pray they can continue worshiping, even though their days which are, as you can but imagine, very discouraging, with almost nothing to do, read, or look at.
Their sleeping arrangements are wooden shelves attached to the walls, with nowhere near enough space. I imagine they must take turns sleeping. It is mostly plywood. There were a few thin sheets, but I saw no cushions or pillows.
The stench inside the prison is impossible to describe. While they are encouraged to shower daily, using buckets at a water pump, the sewage and conditions make it extremely unpleasant.
Once you have been here to tangibly experience what I try to describe, words fail the reality! In reflection, one with a heart of flesh cannot leave unchanged.
What does the Lord require of us to the truly least of these??
Joel Sensenig
