By Kaffie Sledge, The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer (free subscription required), December 27, 2008

This was not a very merry Christmas for John Jerome White.

Released from prison 382 days ago, this is White’s second Christmas as a free man. But he is not free. His spirit is still caged.

White’s ordeal began on Sept. 21, 1979, when he was arrested and charged with burglary and later rape. And it didn’t end until 28 years later, when the Georgia Innocence Project discovered DNA evidence that exonerated White and pointed to the man who committed the rape. On Dec. 10, 2007, White was released from Macon State Prison.

In January, White said he was getting accustomed to living outside prison walls. Today, with the help of a therapist, he is still working on that.

Like a character out of “Shawshank Redemption,” White talks about being institutionalized.

“In the penitentiary, everything was planned — laid out, and I don’t seem to be able to get over that,” he said. “I worked at Publix, but it seemed like my supervisor was a corrections officer. He didn’t do anything or say anything to me, but when I looked at him, it was almost like I could see him wearing that uniform. ... Therapy seems to be working, though.”

The first time I met White I was struck by his youthful persona and his smile. I observed, however, that when he grew uncomfortable, he seemed to retreat to some other place. And when he did, his expression changed. The boyish smile left his lips and the lights went out in his eyes.

Right now he seems to be making a valiant effort to keep the lights on.

This Christmas wasn’t merry for lots of people. The economy made it bad for just about everyone, he said. This year reminded him of some of the tough times his mother faced when he was a youngster. They were happy and loved, but there wasn’t always money for presents. He feels sad because he didn’t have money to buy presents this year.

White is from Manchester, but shortly after his release, he and his wife moved to Atlanta, where he continues to work with GIP. His wife was able to find work, but with only a GED, White said he is best suited for labor, which he can’t do because prison left him with a bad knee, poor circulation in his lower legs and rotator cuff injuries.

So until he can resolve the issues that surfaced when he was working at the grocery store, White has decided to concentrate on the leather accessories he makes and sells.

When I met White in 2007, he said he was happy spending time with his wife, looking at the stars at 4 a.m. That hasn’t changed, but ...

In prison he got up between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. to be prepared for breakfast by 6 a.m. That alarm still goes off in his head. Plus, it seems that post-incarceration hypervigilance is taking its toll on White.

He does not feel safe in Atlanta. He feels safe in Manchester. His mother lives outside the city limits. In Manchester he’s not on guard duty. He can rest. He can sleep soundly.

When White returned home, he exhibited behavior similar to Vietnam veterans. He began a routine of spending nights making sure his apartment was secure – his wife protected.

In prison, as in combat, survival is the bottom line. And most times survival comes with a price. And that price keeps showing up in White’s eyes.