Michael's story of his life reads like Les Miserables, a fact that Judge Barber failed to recognize at the hearing I witnessed in November of 2013. The judge was in such a hurry to get on his way on a cruise he completely disregarded the pleas for help from Michael Shane Glisson which had brought me to court via the judge's indirect request through the public defender to demonstrate Michael had any positive ties to the community. The closest the public defender could find was me, a neighbor who had never even been on the same side of the fence as Michael, but even so I could gauge his character, his integrity. So when Michael went missing from next door, I was deeply concerned for his well-being, especially knowing his health concerns and approximate age. I spent months trying to locate him, afraid that the activities of the nuisance house had made him meet a bad end. When I found he was in jail, I was relieved he was alive. Then I read his record thoroughly, researched him deeply, and his story began to unfold before I ever had spoken to him of jail at all, (as the subject had not come up in polite conversation over the fence...) I began visiting him and learned more of his life, and I asked him if I could be his advocate and he agreed.
At first though, when I began writing to him, I didn't use my name but instead the home-owner's name of the address I lived at with their permission. I tentatively reached out to Michael, finding that no one had visited him, contacted him, none of his "friends" from next door...and he had no close family. He was alone and trapped in a cycle of incarceration he didn't understand. You see, Michael is barely literate, and although extremely intelligent and high-functioning, he suffers from addiction, severe PTSD and other undiagnosed and untreated issues from the deep trauma he has suffered over his lifetime. Without treatment and programs to reintegrate him into society the courts have dealt a good man a death sentence, a life of over 28 years of incarceration that have taken their toll on him mentally, spiritually and physically.
Without intervention this man will die in prison, a victim of the mass incarceration machine. I cannot allow such a brave soul to fight this battle alone. Please join me on his journey to find freedom in a world that has tried to destroy him, witness the truth of human tenacity to survive, live and love... #FREEMICHAELSHANEGLISSON #FLORIDASJEANVALJEAN
SEND POSTCARDS TO MICHAEL SHANE GLISSON INMATE # 14029324 520 FALKENBURG JAIL FALKENBURG RD TAMPA FL 33619
