"Treat a man as he is and that is what he remains, treat a man as he can be and that is what he becomes." –Goethe.
Michael is a Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor who strives to guide and support people in and through the arduous experience of recovery and healing. Michael has earned several Associates Degrees and is entering a bachelor's program in the fall.
While serving a '35 year to life' sentence, Michael went within to face his past in order to find someone who was lost long ago: himself. Today, Michael is free after 25 years of incarceration, has found healing and peace, and is more authentically in line with who he is as a human being.
While incarcerated, Michael was provided the opportunity to enter the Occupational Mentor Certification Program. He excelled within the program and has demonstrated that change is possible for anybody willing to be honest with themselves, open to doing something different, and willing to work through the difficulties that is life.
Brandon Baker is a Journalist, Motivational Speaker and Youth Mentor.
He received AA degrees in Communication and Sociology and is currently enrolled at Cal State Los Angeles pursuing his BA in Communication.
He is the epitome of transformation: at the age of 18 years old he was sentenced to life in prison. After 25 years of incarceration, he was released and now lives a life of service and purpose.
Brandon has worked as a Trauma Talks Facilitator and Inside Coordinator for the 64 Days of Nonviolence campaign with Compassion Prison Project. He is a testament of change that is created by compassion. He aspires to create change in society by extending compassion to the world.
Nhut Vo is a tattoo and portrait artist, small business owner, and Community Coordinator for the Boundless Freedom Project. He also works as a consultant, mentors incarcerated youth, and volunteers with nonprofit organizations that support reentry and the incarcerated population.
Mr. Vo has not always held these roles. He served 20 years in a correctional institution and was initially sentenced to Life Without the Possibility of Parole for a crime he was involved in at the age of 16.
During his time of confinement, he took responsibility for his past and sought every opportunity to improve himself. He earned two associate degrees and became a certified paralegal. He volunteered to organize activity groups, led religious services, mentored at-risk youth, and trained rescued dogs. When the Supreme Court ruled that sentencing juveniles to Life Without Parole constituted cruel and unusual punishment, he received a lifeline and ultimately earned his freedom in 2020.
Today, he is a grateful and humble contributing member of his community. He is dedicated to creating pathways for men and women in similar situations through his arts and entrepreneurship.
Anthony Ammons went to prison at 16 years old for committing murder. He was sentenced to 102 years to life. Ammons began to realize the traumas he carried since childhood and began participating in self-help groups. As a result of that work he grew up and started to think for himself, and in 2018 Governor Jerry Brown commuted his sentence to 19 years to life.
Using his 20 years of lived experience, he was able to provide Assemblywoman Mia Bonta with insight into the deficiencies within the prison system. Today, Ammons is thankful to be working for the current California Attorney General Rob Bonta in the CARE Unit as a Special Projects Coordinator.
