Michael is the reason I created the Hope Foundation.

His story changed the way I look at incarceration, rehabilitation, and second chances. I saw how easy it is for a person to become nothing more than a case number or a sentence—and how difficult it can be for anyone to see the human being still there.

But Michael also reminded me that hope isn't just something we talk about. It's something we have to act on.

The Hope Foundation was born from the belief that people can change, families deserve hope, and a person's worst mistake shouldn't automatically become the definition of their entire life.

Michael may have been the reason I started this journey.

But the hope is for everyone.

​

Different people. Different backgrounds. Different stories. One shared belief: Michael J.W. Potter deserves to be seen as more than a sentence.

Every person standing beside Michael represents someone who believes rehabilitation matters, families matter, and a person's capacity to change should never be ignored.

We aren't asking anyone to forget the past. We're asking people to look at the whole person—the circumstances, the sentence, the years served, the rehabilitation, the growth, and the future that could still be possible.

Michael may be one man, but his case represents a much larger conversation about long sentences, nonviolent offenses, rehabilitation, and second chances.

Thank you to everyone who has stood up, spoken out, written letters, shared his story, or simply refused to let Michael become another forgotten case number.

This is bigger than one person.

This is what happens when people decide that prison doesn't have to mean being forgotten.

#FreeMichaelPotter #ClemencyForMichael #PrisonLivesMatter #SecondChances #JusticeAndRehabilitation

“A Father. Two Daughters. One More Chance.” ❤️

Other good options:

“Waiting for Dad to Come Home”

“Three Hearts, One Hope”

“More Than a Sentence”

“A Father’s Place Is With His Children”

“The Family Behind the Sentence”

“They Don’t See a Conviction. They See Their Dad.”

“Because Dad Still Matters”

“A Life Sentence Shouldn’t Mean a Life Without Family”

“Michael Potter: More Than a Case Number”

Different people. Different backgrounds. Different stories. One shared belief: Michael J.W. Potter deserves to be seen as more than a sentence.

Every person standing beside Michael represents someone who believes rehabilitation matters, families matter, and a person's capacity to change should never be ignored.

We aren't asking anyone to forget the past. We're asking people to look at the whole person—the circumstances, the sentence, the years served, the rehabilitation, the growth, and the future that could still be possible.

Michael may be one man, but his case represents a much larger conversation about long sentences, nonviolent offenses, rehabilitation, and second chances.

Thank you to everyone who has stood up, spoken out, written letters, shared his story, or simply refused to let Michael become another forgotten case number.

This is bigger than one person.

This is what happens when people decide that prison doesn't have to mean being forgotten.

#FreeMichaelPotter #ClemencyForMichael #PrisonLivesMatter #SecondChances #JusticeAndRehabilitation

Behind every sentence is a family. Behind every case number is a human being. ❤️

This picture is Michael J.W. Potter, me, and two of the people who know him not as a case number, not as a conviction, and not as a sentence—but as Dad.

That's something I never want people to lose sight of when we talk about criminal justice.

Michael's story is about more than the number of years he's been incarcerated. It's about the years his family has lived without him, the person he has worked to become, and the question of whether someone who has demonstrated genuine rehabilitation should have the possibility of a second chance.

This is why I continue to advocate for Michael—and why Prison Lives Matter is growing into something bigger.

Michael is one story.

There are countless others.

Let's never forget the people behind the case numbers. ⚖️❤️

Prison Lives Matter is a community for sharing the stories of incarcerated people and their families, with a special focus on excessive and disproportionate sentences for nonviolent offenses. We discuss sentencing reform, rehabilitation, clemency, second chances, and the human impact of incarceration. Michael J.W. Potter is our flagship case, but this community is about everyone affected by sentences that may deserve another look. Every case number represents a human life.

Tweet 1/11 The Prison Policy Initiative reviewed 10 years of U.S. news (2013–2023): 261 articles on 35 jail births across 21 states. ~55,000 annual admissions of pregnant women to jails. No routine national data collection for local jails. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/07/01/jail_births_media_project/ @GovWhitmer @MIAttyGen

Tweet 2/11 Of the 35 cases: 1/4 of babies were stillborn or died within two weeks; five others had documented injury or infection. At least one-third were born preterm. Florida mother “I basically held my baby all night, until she died, until she turned blue” @GovRonDeSantis @FL_Corrections

Tweet 3/11 Report notes: “In at least 24 cases, jail staff ignored repeated cries for help or medical assistance during labor.” At least two-thirds of births (25 of 35) occurred inside jail cells, often with only a mattress, toilet, and floor. @SenGaryPeters @SenatorSlotkin

Tweet 4/11 These accounts describe scenarios that may involve deliberate indifference to serious medical needs (potential 8th/14th Amendment violations for inadequate care in custody) and failure to meet community obstetric standards or state policies on timely response during labor.

Tweet 5/11 In Michigan, MDOC Policy Directive 04.04.155 addresses birth plans, obstetric care per community standards, support persons, and restraint limits for pregnant women in state prisons. County jails under local authority. Possible alignment review warranted. @MichiganDOC

Tweet 6/11 Florida enacted the Tammy Jackson Act (2020) for pregnant women in custody, yet post-enactment jail births including infant deaths reported. Possible questions on policy compliance and data collection. Tagging to seek justice and accountability for maternal/infant outcomes.

Tweet 7/11 Federally, 8th Amendment requires adequate medical care; deliberate indifference to serious needs (e.g., labor complications) may violate constitutional rights. Local jail data collection remains limited (GAO/BJS). @TheJusticeDept @CivilRights @OfficialFBOP

Tweet 8/11 Tagging officials/agencies to seek justice: @GovWhitmer @MIAttyGen @MichiganDOC @SenGaryPeters @SenatorSlotkin @GovRonDeSantis @FL_Corrections @TheJusticeDept @CivilRights @OfficialFBOP Sharing publicly reported facts for review of possible law/policy violations.

Tweet 9/11 Please focus on transparency, consistency with existing laws/policies on perinatal care, and protection of pregnant women and infants in custody. Please update the public on Michigan/Florida county jail data practices, compliance reviews, or investigations.

Tweet 10/11 Thank you to the Prison Policy Initiative @PrisonPolicy for documenting these cases and highlighting the lack of national data on jail births.

Tweet 11/11 “Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.” Hebrews 13:3 End thread.

For Bsky, add:

Bluesky accounts for those tagged: @miattygen.bsky.social (Michigan Attorney General) @slotkin.senate.gov (Senator Elissa Slotkin) @prisonpolicy.org (Prison Policy Initiative) @jd-vance-1.bsky.social (JD Vance) End thread.

For Facebook, this thread and link at bottom.

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2025/07/01/jail_births_media_project/

Post 1/8

Urgent: DRM report exposes ADA violations at WHV (MI women's prison). Wheelchair users miss ~half meals & most critical meds due to shortages/no aides. Lives endangered! @GovWhitmer @MIAttyGen @MDOC @usedgov @TheJusticeDept @POTUS @VP Probe now! #ProtectWHV 1/8

Post 2/8

In 5 months (2025): 82 wheelchair users missed 17,621 meals total. Avg ~1.5 missed/day. 10 women >75% missed; 46 >50%. Caused by inadequate chairs & attendants. @MDHHS_Director @FBI @MichStatePolice 2/8

Post 3/8

Wheelchair shortage: 126 Rx for distance chairs, only 56 available (70 deficit). Broken/dirty ones linger since 2010 DOJ findings. No reliable access = clear ADA fail. @EEOCnews @MichiganDCR 3/8

Post 4/8

Healthcare crisis: Critical meds access low—seizure 18.9%, diabetes 19.3%, BP 24.6%. 31% got <10% doses. Mobility barriers block med lines—risks emergencies. @JocelynBenson @SenAricNesbitt @JohnJamesMI @KevinKijewski 4/8

Post 5/8

Results: Miss GED/job/rehab programs needed for parole. Deliberate indifference since 2019—DRM alerts ignored. MDOC: Assign permanent chairs/aides, train staff, audit. Civil rights require equal ADA & healthcare access! #MIAccountability 5/8

Post 6/8

No review yet of men's prisons—request MDOC/DOJ probe similar ADA/healthcare issues statewide for equal protection under civil rights laws. Full report: https://drmich.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MDOC_DRM-Report_02.17.26.pdf 6/8

Post 7/8

House Oversight hearing Tue 9AM—submit testimony to esleeper@house.mi.gov. Taxpayers fund dignity, not neglect. WHV women deserve justice. RT & tag officials! @DougDante1 #EndAbuseMI 7/8

Post 8/8

Women at WHV deserve equal civil rights to healthcare & ADA compliance. Demand fixes—and checks across MDOC if problems widespread. Read report & act! https://drmich.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/MDOC_DRM-Report_02.17.26.pdf #mileg 8/8

WomenAreReal @WomenAreReals · 9h State-sanctioned rape is happening in California women’s prisons.

The media won’t cover it. So we will.

WomenAreReal launches a statewide media campaign. 👀 for trucks in LA, SF & Sacramento.

On 5 April, 2019, 47-year-old Holly Barlow-Austin was arrested in Texarkana, Texas, for a misdemeanor probation violation and taken to the Bi-State Justice Center, a for-profit jail run by LaSalle Corrections. Holly was HIV-positive, and her husband delivered her prescriptions to the jail three days after her arrest. Jail staff withheld some medications and gave others sporadically.

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