Gratitude for the everyday

On July 22nd, 2022, Robinson was informed of his release. He recalls this moment as the one that has brought him the most joy since release.

I was in my room or cell as you could call it, and my neighbor told me the [correctional officer] CO wants to see you downstairs. So I said, 'okay, I'll be down in a few minutes.' And he said, 'no he wants to see you.' I walked downstairs, and I saw the look on his face, and I said, 'You had good news for me, don't you? He said, 'Yes. Go pack up.' And my jaw dropped. The joy that shone through my whole body was overwhelming. I went upstairs and didn't pack. I was just anxious to get out of there.

Robinson's niece, Janet, picked him up from the prison, and they immediately went to Kohl's to pick out new clothes. He recounts being overwhelmed by the variety and choices. Robinson chuckled as he recalled saying to his niece, 'just look at the colors.' He quickly grabbed a few things in grays, browns, and blues and then left for his new residence in Holbrook, Massachusettes. On the way home Janet's mom, Robinson's sister called, and Robinson answered the phone. She asked, 'How did you do that? You always do collect calls.' And Robinson replied, 'Well I'm out.'

Robinson now resides in his sister's house along with five of his nephews and nieces. He says that being around the family is wonderful and he is constantly getting to meet new family members he has never met before.

Robinson's family is his main source of social and financial support. However, outside of family, he has a strong network of other exonerees and formerly incarcerated people. Robinson goes out to lunch to meet friends and connects with them over Facebook.

This past January Robinson got his driver's license. Acquiring his license has given him a newfound sense of independence and freedom. Robinson frequently drives to meet friends or visits Ames Nowell State Park as a getaway destination for walks and to take photos.

Robinson recalls the his first drive after his license, "the first morning I get in the car, start up the car and I'm all alone. Nobody else in the car with me. No handcuffs. Nobody else with me. I'm talking about a prison var or something right, but I'm in the car alone, by myself. It was a strange feeling for a few minutes, but once I get up the street, that was it.

Prior to getting his license, Robinson had to relearn how to drive since that last time he drove was over 50 years ago. Robinson's family also helped him a lot when he started to drive the car. "I had my nephew Kevin, where he was going to be driving lessons on Saturday and Sunday morning," Robinson said. "And he was good and very helpful."

I'm making the adjustments pretty well I think. I'm still struggling in certain situations to function on my own with some assistance. When I am at the stores, I have the plastic cards now and so forth. Everything has changed so much in all the years since I went to prison. So it is an ongoing struggle.

Anxiety is a struggle for Robinson as well as several of his friends who were previously incarcerated. It's going to take a long time to get over this if one ever gets over everything. Despite these struggles, Robinson challenges himself to get out of the house as often as possible. He will often go along on errand runs with family or friends just to help further his acclimation process back into society.

Another difficulty is making social connections. There is uncertainty about how much to share about his past and can be uncomfortable to meet new people. Fortunately, networks through the New England Innocence Project and Confronting Injustice have put him in touch with other formerly incarcerated people who know his experience and have gone through or are going through the transition period of re-entry themselves.