Bo’s hands move with practiced precision, threading small beads onto a length of sinew. The soft click of the beads sliding into place, the rhythmic repetition of his fingers as they glide in and out of the thread, creates an almost meditative sound. There’s quiet focus in his eyes as he works. This isn’t just beadwork—it’s a glimpse into his future, a tactile representation of the plans he’s weaving for himself.

For Michael D. Bolton I (a.k.a. Bo), beadwork isn’t just a skill or a hobby; it’s a personal journey, a reflection of his unwavering determination. Each bead represents a choice, each pattern a goal. His creations run deeper than decoration or accessories. Bo is creating something lasting, something real from fragments.

Bo came home in October of last year, 2024. While incarcerated, he was enrolled in the business administration program at Dyersburg State Community College, receiving assistance from THEI while he was there. What he appreciates most about THEI’s programming is the focus on stability and self-determination.

“THEI makes sure that I set goals and they help me stay on track at every stage. They also want me to be autonomous and independent. I understand that I need to keep moving forward, but with their assistance, I don’t feel all the financial pressure.”

Building a New Foundation: Busby House’s First Resident

This relief comes in part from Bo’s residency at Busby House. On move-in day, Bo felt like he was stepping into something solid—something that was his. The newly redecorated house in Nashville offered more than just a place to rest his head. It was the foundation of Bo’s autonomy, a space where he could rebuild his life on his own terms. As the first resident of Busby House, one of three homes in THEI’s Housing Network, Bo knew he was stepping into a space of community support and healing.

And it’s no surprise that this comes with a learning curve. After his experiences both inside and outside of the carceral system, Bo found it difficult to depend on people. With all of the endeavors that need to be completed upon release, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed, and in this frenzy, Bo’s initial reaction was to take care of everything himself.

“But I’ve learned that you have to accept the help when it’s positive help,” Bo says. “And THEI is all positive help.”

The Power of Community

One of THEI’s biggest priorities is building and maintaining community with our alumni network, and Bo says he feels this impact from every corner of the organization. He sees that THEI is something different, something that goes above and beyond “standard” reentry services.

“I feel like I’m going to make a strong comeback because of y’all.”

Only a few days after his release, Bo joined THEI at a donor appreciation event last October, sharing his story with the supporters present that evening. He felt amazed to be involved in something like that. Seeing Bo on THEI’s website in a recap of the event, made his family proud. This was something positive to share with his family, people who understand and champion Bo.

“The love, the camaraderie, the community. I met some good people there. Some influential people.”

Bo says his concerns about the future are minimal. Of course, he is human, and he has emotions, and he can get stressed sometimes, but with THEI by his side, he feels confident that things will work out well. Often, Bo points out, reentry services are looked at as just a sort of “checklist.” Rarely do individuals involved take the time to speak to the individual coming home, getting to know them on a personal level. They don’t look at the tailored needs of a person, and they don’t attempt to keep in contact after the “checklist” is all checked off. 

A Three, Five, and Ten-Year Plan

After he graduates with his associates degree from DSCC, Bo intends to look into becoming a Google Cloud or AWS Cloud Practitioner. The tech industry, while challenging, can be very rewarding. Bo wants to choose a career path that will keep him mentally stimulated. “I think in terms of three, five, and ten-year plans,” Bo says.

“My three-year plan is to continue education, get stable. In five years, I hope to make myself more marketable and valuable to different companies and teams I want to be involved with.”

Ten years from now, Bo is envisioning a future where he has leveraged the knowledge and know-how from his experience to develop his own business plan, potentially including starting a networking company and/or his own trucking company.

These plans are why Bo’s education is so important to him. He wants to achieve the skills to do these things properly and set himself up for success. Bo is off to a good start. Recently, he secured his first job post-release as a Peer Support Coordinator at the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute. Bo is a published author as well. He recently released his first authored ebook, Serenity Within the Thunderstorm: How to Achieve Freedom and Peace in the Storm, which is available on Amazon.

On a personal level, Bo has a goal of independence. His 14-year old son lives in Memphis, and Bo wants to be in a position where his son can visit him. These things take time, but he knows he’s taking the necessary steps. Bo’s daughter is in school now to achieve her master’s degree in education. He wants to have something to pass onto his kids. This is his end-game for that ten-year plan, to be stable enough where they can also be comfortable and not have to struggle as he did. He recognizes that you can’t avoid the struggle of life, but, being a father, he wants to cushion that blow a little bit.

“I’m a life-long learner. This is what my three, five, and ten-year plans look like: education, stability, and entrepreneurship.”

Advice for Fellow Justice-Impacted Scholars

Bo’s advice for those still navigating higher education behind bars, or adjusting to life after release, is grounded in humility and wisdom. He speaks from experience, having faced challenges that many of today’s justice-impacted scholars will eventually encounter.

First and foremost, he says anyone in this situation should take the help that is offered to them. THEI starts planning for our students’ reentry plan one year before their release.

Being self-sufficient, though, is the other side of that coin that is also very important. He took it upon himself to reach out and find different places in Nashville that have closets and food pantries available. He wants people to be proactive about the change that's about to happen in their lives. If they have creative hobbies, hone in on those skills. Take time to practice their creativity, because that can also be of use, both financially and mentally, after release.

For Bo Bolton, the path forward is clear: it’s about claiming his space, making deliberate choices, and threading together a future built on community support and the confidence that he is in control of his own story.