I knew Michael in college, and his problems were quite evident to those around him, even then. At the same time you just knew in your bones that he was a good person (better than most of of the people around him), and in possession of a keen and fierce intellect, besides.
It's such a waste of resources to keep someone like that locked up. He's a good man. He needs help and he needs love (and perhaps also medication). But he doesn't need to be in jail, and he doesn't need to have his name dragged through the public records like that.