The Sentence of Michael Thompson

By: Jennifer Vintzileos

As laws for marijuana continue to relax in several states, there are many who still remain behind bars for the sentence it used to elicit. In Kyle Thrash and Haley Elizabeth Anderson’s documentary The Sentence of Michael Thompson, the fight continues to release Michael Thompson from prison who is the longest serving nonviolent offender. And, more importantly, it explores how severe sentences like Michael’s affect more than just the prisoner—they also affect the family.

In May 1996 Michael Thompson was handed a rather harsh sentencing for selling three pounds of marijuana to an informant. Furthermore, Thompson was considered violent merely because during a search of his home police found two guns in the household…even though Michigan laws state that people can legally and openly carry guns. Of the guns found, one was an antique and the other was his wife’s gun. Even though Michael did not personally own a gun he was sentenced to sixty years.

While Thompson admits that he turned to selling drugs to provide for his family, his choice produced the opposite effect and left his children without a present father figure. Fast forward twenty-five years later and Michael’s daughter Rashawnda continues to advocate for her father’s release from prison in Jackson, Michigan. With the help of attorney Kim Corral and a slew of positive testimonies from Thompson’s friends and family, the case for clemency strengthens to help end his incarceration and grant him the ability to spend his remaining years with his loved ones.

Thrash and Anderson bring to light an ongoing issue in the justice system: harsh sentences that no longer fit the crime. In the case of Michael Thompson, the legalization of marijuana in many states has changed how we view it as an illicit substance. Moreover, the documentary shows how the justice system was not fair to Thompson, tacking on a violent charge of weapons that had nothing to do with the crime that Thompson had originally committed. Yet while (spoiler alert) Thompson does get his day in court, there are many others like him that are still serving time and deserve a second chance at life—roughly thirty-three thousand of them. So many have not had the chance for redemption the way that Michael Thompson has and we will never know how long it will take to get there.

Even more enlightening is how individuals like Thompson don’t always start out making bad decisions. Prior to his arrest and incarceration, Thompson was given the key to the city. He was a family man and a community organizer…and in one moment his poor decision-making cost Thompson everything. Thrash and Anderson capture that loss of time and the toll it has taken on Michael’s life. He had not met his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Years of watching his own children grow up were nonexistent. Dealing with the actions of his consequences, Thompson had also cut off having visitors while imprisoned for twenty years. And amidst all of it he still had to work several years to convince a parole board that he had changed and was ready to integrate back into society.

Michael Thompson’s story is not uncommon. There are many still fighting to right the wrongs and undo the injustices brought upon those who make one bad decision. When will we see proper reform brought to the justice system? We may never know. For more information on Michael Thompson and organizations designed to help those like him, please visit https://www.freemichaelthompson.com/.