I had the honor of sitting with Michael and a few of his friends—men who had spent years in solitary confinement. I came in with an open heart, no expectations, just a willingness to listen. And what I found were people full of grace, humor, and depth. Gentle, present, kind.
These were men who had lived through unthinkable isolation, and yet somehow, they held onto their humanity. They had found strength not just to survive, but to grow. Thanks to the right programs—ones that saw them as people, not just numbers—they were finally given tools to heal, to reconnect, to come home to themselves. That kind of support doesn’t just reduce recidivism; it saves lives.
Please, come support them in Michael’s one man show. It will be worth it, I promise.
Michael Clifton is a Denver-based writer, performer, and justice advocate whose work draws from lived experience and centers the humanity of those impacted by incarceration. He is the playwright and performer behind Liberty by Any Means, a one-man play developed while serving five years in solitary confinement, which explores faith, despair, and the search for meaning inside a concrete box. Michael is the Founder of The EchoBridges Initiative, a multimedia platform that houses multiple projects, including Echoes of (IN)Justice, a national storytelling and policy effort, and The Bridge Between Us Series, a restorative justice–focused graphic novel project for youth and community. He also serves as Qualitative Data Coordinator at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, contributing to public health research centered on the lived experiences and needs of people impacted by the criminal legal system.
Michael Clifton is a Denver-based writer, performer, and justice advocate. He is the creator of Liberty by Any Means, a one-man play rooted in his experience of solitary confinement. Michael founded The EchoBridges Initiative, a multimedia platform that includes Echoes of (IN)Justice, a national storytelling and policy project, and The Bridge Between Us Series, a graphic novel project focused on restorative justice for youth. He also serves as Qualitative Data Coordinator at the University of Colorado Anschutz, contributing to public health research centered on the lived experiences of people impacted by the criminal legal system.