Dean Gillispie grew up in southwest Ohio. As a child, he enjoyed building miniatures and train sets, what he calls tinkering. When he was 24, he was convicted and sentenced for crimes he did not commit. He spent 20 years in prison before being released through the advocacy of his parents and the Ohio Innocence Project. While incarcerated, he created dozens of elaborate miniatures using materials he scavenged inside. His artwork is featured in the exhibition Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration. He is now on the board of the Ohio Innocence Project and volunteers to help other formerly incarcerated people re-enter their communities.