Richard Phillips, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a passion for singing, has spent over 40 years behind bars for a crime he insists he did not commit.
Wrongfully imprisoned in 1972 at the age of 26, Phillips was sentenced to life in prison with limited education and no clear path to freedom.
To cope with his circumstances, he turned to writing poetry, which allowed him to express his longing for freedom, his love for his children, and his deep emotional pain.
Despite filing unsuccessful appeals in 1974 and 1975, Phillips refused to give up on proving his innocence. Over the years, he worked in the prison’s license-plate factory, saving money to hire a new lawyer who might finally help him secure his release.
In 1979, Phillips received unsettling news: Fred Mitchell, the man he believed responsible for his wrongful conviction, was spotted in the prison’s chow hall.
Driven by a desperate need for justice and revenge, Phillips, armed with a homemade knife, planned to confront Mitchell.
His actions reflect the intense frustration he felt after years of fighting for freedom and being ignored by the justice system. Phillips’ story raises difficult questions about the morality of revenge and the deep flaws within the legal system that can lead to such injustices.