Ex-inmate favors pay for lost years

By Carlos Campos, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, February 18, 2005

Calvin Johnson spent 16 years in prison for a rape he did not commit.

In his book, "Exit to Freedom," Johnson describes the sweltering heat and menacing snakes he faced on prison work crews in the swampy tall grass of South Georgia.

Former inmate Calvin Johnson is now a supervisor at MARTA.
Photo courtesy of Jenny Girtman/AJC

He also describes — in painful detail — the hopelessness and despair of being arrested, tried, convicted and imprisoned for something he didn't do.

Johnson was eventually cleared in 1999 by DNA evidence, with the help of the New York-based Innocence Project. Today, Johnson said he is a happy man. He's a supervisor with MARTA, he's married, has a 4-year-old daughter and owns a home.

"I'm doing great," said Johnson, a southwest Atlanta native and Clark College (now Clark Atlanta University) graduate. "Extremely well."

Johnson was helped by $500,000 he received from the state for his wrongful imprisonment. Johnson said he believes inmates should be compensated for time spent on false charges.

He said he's pleased with the settlement he got from the state, saying, "It got me back on my feet and got me going."

There are so many costs that people don't think of, Johnson said. Getting an apartment or buying a car, for example, is difficult for a person with no credit record or a rental history. Johnson said he favors some sort of minimum standard set by the state to ensure equity.

"What it boils down to — you can never repay a person for years lost out of their life," Johnson said.