Michael Mendoza

Michael Mendoza was sentenced to adult prison as a young person. At 15 he was told that he had no hope of changing and would spend the rest of his life in prison serving a life sentence. Through redemption, education, family support, and smart policy (SB 260), Michael would demonstrate his transformation after 17 years and prove that we can safely reduce our prison population.

Prior to joining the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, Michael worked at #cut50 as the Policy Associate. After his incarceration, he became heavily involved in policy reform efforts. He collaboratively worked with a group of members who were also formerly incarcerated or impacted by the criminal justice system to build safe neighborhoods and policies that promote equity. In addition to working on several campaign steering committees on smart policy, he also conducts workshops for people who are currently incarcerated. His work within the walls of confinement provide hope and resources that will help them regain their humanity within our societies. Michael holds a B.A. in political science from San Francisco State University.