Civil Survival Michael Shoemaker is a formerly incarcerated veteran with a disability, motorcycle enthusiast and community activist. He was recently honored with the first annual Superior Help and Outstanding Effort Award from the Veteran’s Allegiance VMC for his tremendous community contributions.
Mr. Shoemaker spent 45 years in addition before finding help with recovery in prison. For the past 12 years he has been sober and focused on giving back to his community. He is an active member of Living with Conviction: Sentenced to Debt for Life in Washington State, an education and advocacy project on the impacts of court-imposed legal financial obligations (LFOs) on formerly incarcerated individuals and their families in Washington State. He is the vice president of the Veterans Allegiance VMC, whose mission is to assist, support and remember fellow Veterans and their families. He is a co-sponsor and coordinator for Wreaths Across Retsil Veterans Cemetery in Port Orchard. As a member of Civil Survival, he has testified before the Law and Justice Committee on LFO reform, as well as speaking to the University of Washington Law School and to a symposium with State Supreme Court Justices.
Civil Survival congratulates Mr. Shoemaker on his well-deserved award and applauds his tireless efforts to better the lives of Veterans, justice involved individuals and his community.