My name is Mark Boyd Springer, and I’ve been in prison in Ohio for the last 35 years. During that period, I’ve become the person I am today: steadfast, hard working, honest, caring. When I was a manchild of 20, in 1988, I was addicted to alcohol, crack, and other drugs, and in the course of a robbery I took the life of an innocent person. It was not premeditated, but there was and IS nothing redeeming about this horrible act I committed.

I’ve lived with the pain, guilt, and remorse for three decades, but I’ve also worked extremely hard at becoming a better person while serving my time. For me, that means everything, because I took away so much. I need to work hard at building so much back.

Before I explain my “Now” though, let me give you some background on why my sentencing was unfair. This is why I am in this current predicament, but it is also my hope for release. To get technical, I was over-sentenced for the murder and should have been released at this point. In my understanding of Ohio law, my sentencing was illegal.

Bear with me while I explain: In 1988, I was indicted by a Grand Jury for Aggravated Murder (2903.01 R.C.) with specifications of Aggravated Robbery (2911.01 R.C.) and Aggravated Burglary (2911.11 R.C.) - totaling five Counts. Counts 1, 2 & 3 were ALL Aggravated Murders, even though there was one victim in my crime. In other words, I was charged with three murders.

On September 6, 1989 I was found not guilty of Aggravated Murder in Count 1 of the indictment which contained the whole case against me, but found guilty of Murder 2903.02 (a lesser offense with no prior calculation in design) by the jury who then found me guilty of Counts 2, 3, 4 & 5.

During the penalty phase of my capital trial, the jury became hopelessly deadlocked. The judge, with no jurisdiction, discharged the jury and sentenced me to 50 years to life of incarceration.

At the time of my sentencing, I could not grasp the amount of damage I had caused to my community, the victim’s family, and my family and friends. But I also had no idea of the places I would go, the skills I would learn, and the people I would meet during my incarceration.

It was in 1994 that I had an epiphany, after experiencing a mentor of mine, a lifer, die suddenly at the age of 54. Though he had been sentenced to die in prison, he was a young man by modern standards, and he had had such a profound impact in my first five years of being locked up. At the time of his passing, I vowed to take advantage of everything the penal system had to offer. It was during this time I also found my religious faith.

Since then, I have tried to stay in progressive movement despite my life sentence. I am a certified peer mentor in Substance Abuse Education; a graduate of Grassroots Violence Prevention Program and Victim Awareness Program; a Charter Member of Toastmasters International; I have over 100 hours of Stephen Ministry training. In 2015, I received a Humanitarian Award for my 18+ years of service in the Resident Treatment Unit as a Program Aide. I’ve completed the Ohio Mental Health and Addictive Services in-person Peer Support Training with a scope of practice in Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. And finally, I am currently employed as a Psychiatric Aide in the Mental Health Department at London Correctional Institution.

All these accolades I am very proud of, but what speaks to me the most is the day to day person I am. I love my work as a mental health professional because I love people, I want to grow and see others grow, to inspire and be inspired in this often drab, depressing environment. I like to think I’ve made the most of it!

I’ve also been blessed to meet some amazing people during my time inside. In the mid 90s, I joined Dr. Catherine Roma’s UMOJA Choir at Warren Correctional, and I found my calling as a singer, songwriter, and musician. I had dabbled in playing the keyboard as a kid in church, but rediscovering my love for songwriting set me on a path to meet more talented artists and collaborators. In 2014, Fury Young’s Di​e Jim Crow project came to Warren, and I composed several songs for them (including "A215-162," named after my ODRC #, and "Headed to the Streets," which was featured in Rolling Stone), was encouraged to explore visual art, and ended up being the artist behind the Die Jim Crow EP Book. Since then, I’ve expanded my network of great musicians with DJC and am currently working on Simply Naomi’s debut LP, which is executive produced by my mentor, BL Shirelle. Contributing songs for Ms. Naomi’s project has been an incredibly motivating experience, as she herself served 37 years of a life without parole sentence in Ohio’s bordering state of Pennsylvania. I am also the songwriter of “Drapetomania,” a song that will be released in Fall 2023 on the Lifers Groove EP “Groove Therapy,” produced by Brian Lawlor and featuring Grammy-nominee Maxwell Melvins.

In addition to Rolling Stone, our work with DJC Records has also been featured in The New York Times​, Los Angeles Times​, Pitchfork, and BBC, to name a few.

I’m heartened by the blessings I’ve received in prison, but I want to enjoy them as a free man, as a returned citizen. As all these years have passed, I speak from a place of understanding now. I am not what I've done, I'm what life has shaped me to be. I've had one goal, a driving force since the day I opened my heart; and that has been to go anywhere on the planet, sit down at a piano, and worship God. I know I'm ready to be a productive citizen in society. I’m ready to continue my work as a mental health professional and as a musician and artist. I have job opportunities that could become careers, even a potential gig at the Die Jim Crow 10-year anniversary event on December 16, 2023 in New York City! 

What I need help with is opening the heavy door of incarceration. I need a second chance. I need the support of my community so Hamilton County District Attorney Melissa Powers will listen, so Ohio Governor Mike DeWine will listen. Will you join me in support and sign my petition?

Thank you and God bless you.
Mark Boyd Springer