In 1991 Isaac Wright Jr. , was sentenced to life imprisonment in New Jersey for a drug trafficking crime he had not committed. Determined to prove his innocence, he began studying law in jail and, while litigating his case representing himself, defended other fellow prisoners as a legal assistant. Seven years later, he regained his freedom, completed his studies and today is a lawyer. This incredible story has served as inspiration for For Life: life imprisonment , a series starring Nicholas Pinnock .

"I met Isaac Wright Jr. a year ago when we were preparing the pilot episode," says the British actor, visiting Madrid to present this fiction, which AXN broadcasts on Thursday at 11 p.m. «I wanted to understand very well the essence, not to imitate him because I interpret a version of what his story was. I wanted to understand who he was. I asked him questions, watched his gestures. And during filming he came many times and was always available, ”adds Pinnock, known on television for his roles in Criminal , Counterpart or Marcella .

Before the proliferation of television productions on failures of the American judicial system, especially documentaries or true-crimes that try to replicate the monumental success and social impact that Making a Murderer had , Pinnock recognizes the trend, but it is unchecked saying: «For Life is that every week we have a case to solve , which links with the general plot and the story of Aaron Wallace », his character and Wright's alter ego. "Every case you choose increases the arsenal of legal weapons you have to get out of jail," he adds.

As an actor, he acknowledges that facing a character based on a real and live person was what attracted him most to the project. It is a challenge I had never faced and I wondered if I could do it. He has to be afraid of you before accepting it, ”he said while reeling his character's journey. «We are seeing how his life as a prisoner is, how he works as a representative of other inmates next to the warden of the prison -to which actress Indira Varma ( Game of Thrones ) interprets - There is also his story as a father and husband, how it was his life before and after he was arrested, ”he concludes.

For Life: life imprisonment , oscillates between the procedural drama and a free biopic where an African-American man fights against an unjust legal and legal system. However, Pinnock prefers to avoid the racial issue, considering that this problem also affects many other groups, the poor being especially vulnerable, without access to education and with mental illness.

“In the US, the prison system is still a business where you get a lot of money , so it is easy to focus on a certain population that cannot afford the necessary legal assistance. They know that there are people who cannot afford a lawyer from an expensive firm and when they receive the help of the ex officio lawyers they say: 'They will ask for life imprisonment, but we can make a deal if you recognize that you are guilty and turn 10 years old' . They have no choice but to accept, ”explains Pinnock, who believes that three decades after the Wright case , the situation has not improved. «As far as I know, things are worse now . We have reached a point where we are advocating a penitentiary reform because the system is out of control, ”says the actor.

In this sense, the rapper 50 Cent , producer of For Life , says that the series could not arrive at a more opportune moment. More cautious, Pinnock says: «I don't think it was done on purpose, but it's true that the series adds to the conversation that is already going on. There is a lot of information, so what the series does is to channel it so that it reaches the public and that they can investigate and become interested ». In conclusion, sentence: "The idea is that the prison system looks in the mirror and wonders why this is happening systematically."

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