Marked for Life: One Man's Fight for Justice from the Inside

Written by Isaac Wright, Jr. and Jon Sternfeld

Narrated by Isaac Wright, Jr.

This program is read by the author, Isaac Wright Jr.

An empowering memoir of courage and hope in the face of injustice—and the basis for the ABC television show, For Life—Marked for Life is the true story of Isaac Wright Jr.’s battle to win his freedom after being wrongfully imprisoned for crimes he didn’t commit, and a critical indictment of America’s judicial system.

“If I waited around for someone to save me, I’d be waiting my whole life. Unless I took the reins of this thing myself, I was going to die in prison. If that was my destiny, then I was going to die fighting. The desperation of that equation kept me up most nights. I would never find a gladiator. So I had to become him.”

In the summer of 1989, Isaac Wright Jr. was a 28-year-old independent music producer, who’d struck out on his own and became one of hip hop’s early success stories. With his dance crew Uptown Express, Wright won recognition on Star Search, toured with Run-DMC, and transitioned into management, co-founding his wife Sunshine’s music group, The Cover Girls. They’d settled in the New Jersey suburbs to raise their six-year-old daughter, never imagining that Wright would fall victim to gross police misconduct and a corrupt district attorney.

Accused of being a drug “kingpin” and incarcerated in Somerset County while the prosecutor and police built their case of lies against him, Wright realized he would get no help from any defense attorneys—white men uninterested in uncovering the truth or in proving the innocence of a black man. Pressured to take a plea deal offer of 20 years behind bars, Wright chose to take the law into his own hands by educating himself in the legal system so he could represent himself in court.

Studying statutes and cases in the jail’s law library, Wright became an adept legal mind. But despite acquiring knowledge that he put to use in defending his fellow inmates, he lost his trial and was sentenced to Trenton State Prison for life, plus 70 years in 1991. For the next five years, Wright would continue learning law, become a paralegal with the prison’s Inmate Legal Association, and appeal his case. Threatened by corrupt correction officers and convicts, his family falling apart, Wright fought for his life with every legal means at his disposal, eventually uncovering the smoking gun that unraveled the conspiracy perpetrated by law enforcement officials against him.

Marked for Life is not just the story of how Isaac Wright Jr. won his freedom. It is the story of how he found his true calling as a gladiator fighting on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized communities victimized by an unjust system of law.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin’s Press.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Nov 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781250837578

Isaac Wright, Jr.

Isaac Wright Jr. now practices law in the same courtroom where he was sentenced to life behind bars. Isaac’s remarkable story was the basis for the ABC drama series “For Life." As a lawyer at the Law Firm of Hunt, Hamlin & Ridley, his focus is on defending the wrongly accused and going after corrupt institutions.

Reviews for Marked for Life

[Deborah Stockton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well written the way Mr Wright took us inside the justice system its a miracle anyone comes out sane. No surprise they use our men the way they do.

[Curita A · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I listened to the audiobook & finished it in 24 hrs. I am going to buy the physical copy now so my teenage sons can read it. I hate that this is a part of Mr. Wrights journey but I am grateful he chose to share his story. This should definitely be a New York Times bestseller & everyone's book club book of the month. Thank you Mr. Wright!!

[Aobreny Avila · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The perseverance, love and courage of an innocent man is admirable and encouraging! I love this book!!