Mario’s story has been lightly edited for clarity.

I’m originally from Camden, New Jersey. At the age of 17, I moved to the City of Philadelphia to live with my paternal grandmother. Like many children from the inner city I didn’t grow up with my father in my life. The purpose of moving to Philadelphia was to build a relationship with my father and my family. Two years later I was attested, charged, and later convicted of 2nd-degree felony murder.

I’ve been incarcerated for 30 years. For these past thirty years, I have lived with a great amount of guilt and shame. Although I did not directly cause the death of Mr. Ford, I did participate in an act that led to his death. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about Mr. Ford, his family, and the pain they have been dealing with for the last 30 years. I would’ve given anything to go back and change the events of that snowy January night.

Very soon I will be entering into my 50’s. My transformation and rehabilitation came in many forms/stages throughout my life. Thankfully, I was blessed to be around some older gentlemen who took a positive interest in me and wanted to see me change for the better — something which is very difficult to find in settings such as these.

Upon entering the prison system I was illiterate, hardly able to write my own name. I tried to avoid any situation that would expose my secret. I fought hard to hide my handicap. The individual that first noticed that I couldn’t read or write was a corrections officer. This officer encouraged me to go and speak with the prison’s principal. After speaking with the principal, I made the decision to enroll into some Adult Basic Education classes and later GED classes. In 1998, I earned my GED diploma. Learning how to read and write was my first step to rehabilitation.

Back then, there wasn’t a lot of classes or programs available for those serving life sentences. The next step in my rehabilitation is when I joined a charity organization, R.B.O (Resident Betterment Organization). One of the older gentlemen that I mentioned earlier was a part of this group. He explained what exactly the organization was and the things they were trying to accomplish. The R.B.O. is an organization that raises money through special food sales and donates 100% of their profits to outside groups who are helping those in need. The R.B.O. not only extends their hand to those in the state of Pennsylvania, but throughout the United States, as well as outside the country. During 9/11 we raised money for those serving victims and their families. The Earthquake of Haiti, women & children shelters, food banks, the homeless, Big Brother & Big Sister. We have been approved to a new program that would help children who can’t afford school supplies.

I’ve been a member of the RBO for the past 28 years. I have held several positions within the organization. I’m currently the president of RBO, a position which I have been voted into by my peers for the last 15 years. I joined this group because I wanted to be part of something that would affect people’s lives in a positive way.

Another program/class I participated in, which also aided me in my transformation, was called “Long Distance Dads”. This group’s purpose was to give incarcerated dads the tools they needed to strengthen their relationship with their children. At the time, my son was just 7 years old. The staff organizer appreciated my willingness to be open about my childhood. Shortly after graduating I was asked to come on as a facilitator. At 25, I was the youngest in the group of teachers. I helped teach the class for five years. I only gave up that position to further my own education. I was given the opportunity to earn my certification in electronics; this was an 18-month course.

After successfully earning a certification in electronics. I was hired as facilitator/peer educator in the Prison Chaplaincy Department. My responsibility was aiding the chaplain/Imam in teaching the inmate population about the true Islamic faith. This was also a major step towards my transformation. My faith has guided/shown me the true value of human life. My faith is the driving force of who I am today.

On my days off I would volunteer as a hospice worker in the medical department. These men would spend most of their time in the prison infirmary, with very little contact with others. When the weather was nice, I would escort them to the yard for fresh air. This was something that I took great pride in. I lost my paternal grandmother and aunt to cancer. I couldn’t be there for them in their last days, so I wanted to do good for the guys who couldn’t have their loved ones around in their last days.

I participated in every program that SCI Mahanoy had to offer, mandatory or not. Programs such as: Violence Prevention, a 6-month program; Impact of Crime; Pennsylvania Alternative to Violence Project levels 1 & 2. This particular program was taught by an outside group. With the exception of Violence Prevention, all the others were voluntary. I felt it was important for me to understand the impact my bad action had on others.

You asked me what would I contribute to my community if I was given a second chance at freedom. I would love to work with at-risk youth 12 to 18, These ages are the most vulnerable times in a kid’s life. I believe I can help guide them in the right direction. People such as myself who are given a second chance can be vital examples to these young men and young ladies on the consequences of bad actions and the negative effects they’ll have on others. A young man lost his life and his family has been dealing with that loss, while another young man has spent the majority of his life on earth behind bars. I was once in some of these kids’ shoes.

It would be an honour to work with youth. In addition to earning my certification in electronics, I also took vocational classes in warehouse management and earned my forklifting license. So I have some work skills under my belt. I co-wrote a book with a good friend of mine, Mr. Kenneth Cannon, titled “Theoretical Pieces” through Enspire Writers Pub. I’m currently writing another book, not yet titled. This will be my solo project.