Donor Spotlight: An Interview with Helen Spielman

Our October spotlight features Helen Spielman, a self-described "Warrior for Criminal Justice." Helen, who lives in Chapel Hill, NC, has been a part of Healing Justice since its inception and continues to advocate for those who have been harmed by injustice. Kris Rose spoke with Helen this month about her work with incarcerated individuals, what inspires her, and why she believes it's so important to support the work of Healing Justice.

How did you first learn about Healing Justice? 

I was acquainted with Jennifer before she started Healing Justice. After reading her book, Picking Cotton, I realized how broken the criminal justice system is and I felt I had to do something. Jennifer’s story stimulated me to begin volunteering and I began my work on death row. Originally, I planned to wait until I retired, but my inner voice said NOW!  I’ve been visiting death row for six years, but I never lost touch with Jennifer and her vision. I was always interested in wrongful convictions, so once Healing Justice was established, I volunteered. I drove Healing Justice retreat participants from the airport to the retreat center and back. I also coordinated a silent auction to raise money for Healing Justice.

Why do you choose to support Healing Justice?

I support Healing Justice because I feel its work addresses the very heart of what is broken in our country. By that I mean it addresses racial injustice, the inequality of women and children, poverty, irresponsible legal representation, violence in communities, lack of resources for crime victims, and the fact that no easy mechanism exists for correcting past wrongs. Healing Justice supports improved training for law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as wider use of restorative justice practices.  HJ addresses all of these issues in families, in communities, and at the state and national levels. Healing Justice is extraordinary in that respect. I feel its mission is vital.

I read everything that comes out from Healing Justice. If it weren’t for the pandemic, I’d be attending as many HJ functions as I could!

If you could describe Healing Justice in just one word, what would it be?

Ablaze. I chose that because Healing Justice is always burning fiercely with the desire to transform, it is radiant with all colors and light, and it is in a state of glowing excitement for the present and the future.

What are some of the issues you feel most passionate about?

I am passionate about supporting innocent people while they are still behind bars and about the prisoner reentry experience. I am passionate about having personal relationships - getting proximate, as Bryan Stevenson talks about. One way I do that is through my visits to a man on death row. I visited him monthly for 6 years until the pandemic hit and visitation was suspended.  Instead, I write to him 2-3 times a week. I supported another young man while he was in prison. Now he’s out and I’m still in touch with him as he adjusts to living in freedom. I also worked with Ronnie Long, who was recently released from prison after serving 44 years for something he didn’t do. He lives nearby and I am able to see him. I was recently contacted by a church that wanted to start a letter-writing program for people who are incarcerated, so I serve as their consultant. I’m not an expert on any of this, but I do what I can.

 Where do you hope that Healing Justice will be in 5 or 10 years from now?

I would love to see a fully operational brick and mortar Healing Justice Center thriving and serving as a teaching model for others around the country.  My hope is for Healing Justice to have a broader influence in our society and to be even more effective at every level.