Michelle Morrison heard the judge’s ruling: Life plus five years, for a murder she didn’t commit. But the Atlanta native says she never believed she’d spend the rest of her days behind bars.
“I said, ‘I don’t have a life sentence,’” she remembers. “I never claimed the sentence.”
Morrison did not fire the gun nor did she enter the apartment where Keith Alan Brown was slain in 2007. She merely drove Brown’s admitted killer to the murder scene, leaving alone and later telling police she believed she was helping a friend collect a debt.
Still, Morrison was convicted two years later — at age 27 — on felony murder, aggravated assault, attempted armed robbery, and conspiracy charges. A reexamination by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office in 2021 found that the punishment was unjust, leading to Morrison’s 2022 release.
Now a 43-year-old life coach, Morrison is determined to make the most out of her second chance through her reintegration brand I’Miche (a derivative of her first name and acronym for imagine, manifest, inspire, connect, harmonize, and empower).
Morrison’s path to freedom didn’t come easy. She had exhausted every appeal option by 2020, ultimately firing a lawyer she says did more to obstruct her journey than to support it. But she says her mother’s support — both emotional and through advocacy on her behalf — was vital.
“I did every bit of those 13 years with her,” said Cynthia Morrison Holland, Michelle’s mother. “My whole life was consumed with ’chelle and trying to get her out. … We had many, many doors shut in our faces.”
The tide shifted in 2020 after Paul Howard — the incumbent Fulton district attorney whose office prosecuted Morrison’s case — lost his bid for reelection to Willis, who had visited Holland’s church during her campaign and had connections to congregants there.
Holland hired lawyer Janis Mann, who presented Morrison’s case to the Conviction Integrity Unit in Willis’ office. The task force concluded that Morrison, who had already been incarcerated for more than a decade, was sentenced too harshly relative to the crime she committed. She was resentenced on one charge of attempted armed robbery.
In honor of National Reentry Week, Capital B Atlanta spoke with Morrison about how she remained motivated after being convicted, her fight for justice, and how she’s providing support to other formerly incarcerated people who are struggling to reintegrate. —As told to Madeline Thigpen
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
When I got sentenced, I heard God’s voice in the courtroom saying, “You’re not going to serve a life sentence, but you’ve got to go through this to become the woman you need to become.” I believed it.
I said, “I don’t know how I’m getting home, but I’m going home. I’m gonna still do things as if I’m going home, still set my goals, still do everything I can to be the best version of myself.” People looked at me like I was insane, like, “We don’t go home with life sentences. Not in Georgia.” But a positive mindset took me a long way.
I knew I had to do the work internally so God could come through on his promises: praying, fasting, fixing things that were not so great within, educating myself. Being inside that environment, education is super important because it gives you a sense of direction. I took every class that was offered to me. Emory University came with a theology certificate program, so I started taking theology classes in my third year of incarceration. That was the start of me believing in myself again. I knew that was something I’d been lacking. It added purpose to my life.
I got an associate’s [degree] in positive human development and social change and a bachelor’s in psychology. Now I am getting my master’s in positive psychology [and] life coaching certification. I graduate in May.
I always knew I liked to help people. I wanted to be a registered nurse before I came to prison. But getting a psychology degree pushed me into wanting to do counseling, therapy, and life coaching. It was the best thing that happened to me inside of there.
I was a mentor in a program called Faith and Character and the Kairos Torch program for women 25 and younger. I did that for a few years. I’d deal with everybody, helping elevate their self-esteem, realize their potential, realize their passion, set goals. My preference was the younger ones, because their minds were more impressionable. They were prone to listen.
I would definitely get discouraged. But it wouldn’t last long because I had my mom to put me in the right spirit. On the outside, she was advocating, going to conferences, talking to people. I went through three different appeals, three different lawyers, maybe $50,000 to $60,000 [in legal fees]. It was crazy. But we were both so resilient and determined. When one door shut, we said, “OK, let’s go to this next door.”
The lawyer took my mama’s money and that was it; we were all out of appeals. But God sent me an angel. [Attorney] Janis Mann was the person who was supposed to [help me to be released]. And she did it.
Right now, I see a couple of clients for counseling, but I also started a reintegration and life coaching business called I’Miche, where I coach men and women who are coming home and need guidance. They’re trying to regain a sense of identity outside of incarceration. I’m excited about that.
Me and a partner of mine started doing retreats for women who have been incarcerated. We just did a one-day retreat for the Tennessee Higher Education Initiative with women talking about mental health issues, doing exercises, just trying to keep them engaged, motivated, and focused. Because reintegration is more important than reentry. Reentry is a resource: a car, a house, a job. But if you got all these things and you’re not taking care of your mental health or you’re not emotionally intelligent, what sense does that make?
I like for people to get their mind right. Everything starts with self. If you are operating as a fully functioning individual, you will make better choices and take care of yourself. So that’s what I like to focus on. The mindset is so important to me, because my mindset took me a long way in prison. It still takes me a long way since I’ve been home.
I’m contemplating if I want to get a master’s [degree] or a doctorate in social work when I graduate, because I want to be a licensed practical counselor or licensed as a social worker. I aim to gain some consultant work with nonprofits in the reentry space. But being that I’m on [parole], it’s super hard to get your license. But it’s not impossible. I want to do it. I want it so bad.
Everything happens for a reason. I would not be who I am today if I did 13 years in prison and didn’t get out here and try to make a change or try to use my experiences, wisdom, and education to help the younger Michelles — or Michaels. I learned so much going through that experience and became the woman I was destined to be. It’s my mission in life to give back and to add value to people who need it.
