Mistaken Identity

Here is an Oklahoma story that has me wondering how it could happen--is prison so de-humanizing that the prison guards don't even know or care who lives in the cages?

OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) - An Oklahoma family that thought they had just buried a son who killed himself in prison received a phone call after returning from the funeral from the supposed dead man who said he was very much alive.
The relatives of Kevin Wyckoff, an inmate in Oklahoma's Lexington Correctional Facility, were the victims of a case of mistaken identity, prison officials said on Tuesday.

The family was sent the body of another inmate of similar physical characteristics as their son. The two inmates had recently switched cells, which led to prison officials being confused about their identities, they said.

"On Friday, an inmate committed suicide by hanging himself. Our chart reflected it was Kevin Wyckoff who was supposed to be in that cell," prison spokesman Jerry Massie said.

The inmate who was buried appears to be Steven Howe, Massie said. Howe was serving a sentence for driving under the influence and attempting to elude a police officer. Wyckoff is serving a sentence for assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping.

The body of the buried prisoner will be exhumed and then a medical examiner will confirm the identity, prison officials said.

The Wyckoff family has told reporters they are happy their son is still alive but they have a few questions for prison officials, including who will pick up the tab for the funeral.

This was a topic of conversation at our Christmas family gathering yesterday.

Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
I will praise the LORD all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing. --Psalm 146:1-4 NIV