Otis Johnson was 25 when he went to prison for attempted murder of a police officer, and he was released just last summer at the age of 69.
Upon his release, he received an ID, documents outlining his criminal case history, $40 and two bus tickets. After spending 44 years in prison, the world outside was quite an adjustment for Otis.
Johnson allowed an Al Jazeera English camera crew follow him around New York, where he’s had to adjust to many things that Americans take for granted.
When he saw everyone wearing wires in their ears, Otis said, “What everybody become CIA or agents or stuff like that?”
“And I seen that everybody or majority of the people were talking to themselves. And some people were not even looking where they’re going.”
And don’t even get Otis started on the endless food options he now has to eat…
“The funny dinners. Different colored drinks. What do you call that? The gator stuff? Pink. Blue.”
“The peanut butter, it had jelly in it. And I ain’t never seen nothing like that before. So peanut butter and jelly in the same place in a jar? That was strange.”
But Otis seems to be adjusting well to the changes…
At night he likes to go out to the park and meditate.
“You know you got to let things go because holding on to anger will only stagnate your growth and development,” says Otis.
“I try not to go backward, I try to go forward. That’s how I survive in society.”
Watch this amazing video of My Life After 44 Years In Prison:
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[Featured Image: YouTube]