Man spends 44 years in prison and is startled by today's technology

Think about how much the world has changed in the last two or three decades. If you want to refresh your memory a little, here you can find a selection of items that were successful between the 80's and 90's, and here you can watch several commercials from the same era. In this link you can still check out several old Playboy covers, here we have superheroes from the past and here a variety of goodies that made the kids happy.

Now imagine the shock that an individual who has spent more than four decades "removed" from society would have when he was taking to the streets today and wandering through a world filled with rushing subjects, bright posters, thousands of cars circling back and forth, computers on the go. all the corners and people enclosed in their own universes - with their faces glued to their smartphone screens and with headphones to their ears.

Admirable new world

It was with this world that Otis Johnson came upon leaving prison - after spending no less than 44 years in prison! According to an interesting article by Jenna Belhumeur of the Al Jazeera news portal, Otis was arrested in 1975 on charges of attempting to murder a police officer, which means that when he was removed from society many of the things that are part of of our daily lives did not exist.

Otis was only 25 when he went to jail, leaving at 69, and Al Jazeera people accompanied the former convict on a tour of Times Square in New York, which is one of the busiest places in the city. You can watch the following video, which is in English, and Otis's captivating account of his impressions is fascinating.

During his tour of Times Square, the ex-convict revealed that he had never seen lights like these before, pointing to the bright high-definition posters on the windows of shops and buildings, finding the whole movement crazy. Another interesting observation from Otis was that he noticed that people no longer talk to each other, and most of them walk around talking to themselves.

Otis said that, at first glance, he felt that everyone seemed to have become CIA or secret agents, since most of the people he saw had "threads" coming out of their ears - referring to the headphones he observed in almost everyone but didn't recognize.

Then, looking more closely, the former convict realized that the devices everyone talks to are actually phones - and things called the iPhone "or something." Also, something that surprised Otis was that many don't even look where they are walking, and he said he is still trying to figure out how people can do that - control their travel while talking on their cell phones.

But it was not just electronic devices that surprised Otis. A simple visit to the supermarket amazed him, as the variety of options makes him very uncertain about what to choose. He said there are currently a lot of crazy products available, such as strange meals and very colorful drinks that seem fun to him - and little by little Otis is trying different things.

Difficult adaptation

Otis finished his sentence last year and, he said, life in prison has deeply affected him. After getting out of jail, adjusting to freedom was difficult, as everything had changed so much during all these years and he got used to spending most of his time alone. In addition, Otis lost contact with his family in the late 1990s, so he no longer has ties to the people of his past - which makes him very sad.

However, the former convict said he likes to ride the bus and see different things, as well as communicate with people. After all, this kind of public transport, unlike the subway, is not so crowded and allows him the opportunity to talk to someone or hear what is happening around him.

Reintegration

According to Jenna, prisoners like Otis, who gain freedom after decades in isolation, face huge obstacles. After all, while they are behind bars, they are not the ones who decide when it is time to eat, go out to sunbathe or let the lights go out, and when they come back to live in society - after spending most of their lives in prison - even the simplest things turn into big challenges.

Therefore, in addition to the issues related to the psychological damage of spending so much time in jail, these individuals need to be “introduced” to modern technology and learn how to deal with everyday issues - how to open a bank account, decide what to buy at the supermarket and how to use it. public transportation.

In Otis's case, the feeling of being reintegrated into society again is very good. According to him, in prison, detainees were only allowed to go out into the courtyard during short breaks, and he enjoys being in the sun and watching people. In your own words, it's great to be free.

Do you know stories about people who have spent most of their lives in jail and who have been able to adapt to freedom? Comment on the Mega Curious Forum