Customer Reviews

Exit to Freedom

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I will disclose up front that I am the former pastor and current friend of Greg Hampikian.

When I obtained a copy of Calvin C. Johnson, Jr.'s Exit to Freedom (with Greg Hampikian, University of Georgia Press, 2003) I thought I would just skim the book. But when I started reading it, I could not put it down. The same thing happened to my wife.

I thought the book was about an exit from prison but soon realized it was about much more. It is also about an exit from anger and bitterness, an exit from drugs and crime, and--most important--an exit to "spiritual freedom" (p. 272), which means service of others.

PJS, Ph.D.

In Iraq, prisoners have a saying that roughly translates: " I am going to go jump off my can."

It is a statement about their acceptance of a fate that is out of their control. They have given up and might as well jump off of something but their spirit prevents them from jumping off of anything bigger than a can.

Calvin Johnson's story is one of the human spirit. Despite a fate that is out of his control, he moves from acceptance and anger at his unjust conviction and incarceration to perserverence and an unfaltering faith in god's love.

This is not truly a story about the science of DNA testing. It is a story about un anwavering faith in god and one man's fight for freedom.

It was an absolutely fascinating read. I would recommend it to anyone.

Exit to Freedom is the autobiography of Calvin C. Johnson, Jr. A man who was wrongly convicted of rape and sentenced to live in prison in 1983 and spent 16 years there until DNA testing proved him innocent.

Johnson's reflections on the criminal justice system are eye-opening, heartbreaking, and extremely frustrating. He candidly reveals the cruel realities of prison life (work conditions reminiscent of yesteryear "chain gangs," rules for survival, and prison etiquette), conveys the shame and embarrassment of his ordeal, and the isolation and sadness he felt being away from family and loved ones.

The story follows a chronological path opening with reflections on his early years as a son of an Ohio senator who was also prominent lawyer and community leader. His mother was totally dedicated to the family and home. He recounts the good and the bad: meeting Hank Aaron as a boy, achievements in high school athletics, deejaying at a local radio station as a teenager, the college years, and an addiction to marijuana that eventually lead to a conviction.

He details his first conviction on drug related and burglary charges and the subsequent railroading he underwent on the rape charges. His case is riddled with legal complications and countless delays which led to severe financial and emotion strain on his family. Almost by luck, he was introduced to Project Innocence, a nonprofit legal clinic, and is eventually exonerated by DNA testing.

This book is a harrowing story of one man's fight for freedom in a racially clouded, economically biased court system. Johnson, now an ordained minister, cites his unwavering faith in God and his family's love and support as the thrusts which carried him through some tough times. He expresses no bitterness towards his accusers and continues to work on the Georgia Project Innocence program.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO Bookclub, The Nubian Circle Book Club

To the authors: I just wanted to let you know how much the book moved me (enjoyed is clearly not the right word). Calvin's powerful, heartbreaking story is so eloquently written, I shared his frustration and anger over the idiocy of the bureaucracy that wrongly imprisoned him, and then read on with awe as his spirituality lead him out of the darkness. What an amazing human being - I am thrilled at his newfound happiness and full life. I have always been an opponent of the death penalty, and an advocate for prison reform, but if I had had any doubts about those convictions, your book would have wiped them out. Exit to Freedom should be put in the hands of every judge and DA in the country.

"Exit to Freedom" is by far one of the best books I've read! The authors (Calvin Johnson & Greg Hampikian) did an outstanding job taking us through the sixteen painful years Calvin experienced in jail for crimes he did not commit.

The transformation of starting out extremely angry and bitter to learning to accept God's guidance and love is clearly illustrated throughout the book.

I highly recommend this book to everyone. Calvin Johnson's willingness to forgive those who wronged him is a lesson we can practice in our daily lives.

There are so many others like Calvin Johnson locked up for crimes they did not commit. I applaud the Innocence Project and other organizations willing to "right" a terrible "wong".

I just purchased two more copies for gifts. Best wishes and blessings to the Johnson family.

What an outstanding work! To feel the thoughts and emotions of an unjustly imprisoned man is heart rendering. I enjoyed reading this book far more than John Grishom's "Innocent Man." Exit to Freedom is written in the "first person" and engages the reader from the outset in an extremely powerful way. Grishom's book is like reading a 200 page newspaper article.

This book was on my "save" list for some time after I heard about it on NPR. Glad I finally ordered it. Another well-written, moving story about how unequal "justice" can be in this country. It's easy to get burned out and not want to deal with it, but stories like this remind us why we have to keep caring.

Calvin C. Johnson Junior's story shines a spotlight on the issues within the American criminal justice system, yet is story is also one of self-discovery. Together Johnson and Dr. Greg Hampikian write of a travesty with honesty and integrity. Even though this story has a happy ending, don't expect it to read like a novel. It deals with heavy topics that are handled without ever forgetting there are real people involved. The authors don't attempt to paint Johnson as a hero or a victim. They portray him as a human complete with flaws. At time he will infuriate you and at others touch your heart deeply. Telling someone's truth as it really was is a difficult job, but Johnson and Hampikian shine in Exit to Freedom.

I first heard about Mr. Johnson's experience on NPR and immediately purchased the book. Once I picked it up, I could not put it down. I do not normally read autobiographies, but working in the judicial system, I was interested in reading what Mr. Johnson's experience was like; a black man, falsely accused of crimes he could not have committed and then being incarcerated for the entirety of his youth.
In one sense this was a heartbreaking tale of an educated young man's life being stripped away from him because of pride and prejudice. When I had learned that he went to trial in 1983 I was astounded by the blatant racism that still existed in Atlanta, Georgia, a city I thought was the mecca for Black progression and tolerance. Obviously I was wrong.
Mr. Johnson spent his entire youth in prison, among men that he himself admitted he would not be friends with if he were out on the street. Johnson had a college degree, came from an affluent family and knew how to work hard to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, like many of us when we are young, he made some dumb decisions and because of them got his name and face in the criminal justice system.
However, this book is not a tale of a life wasted, but how, even through the worst of times, a man overcame his anger, hatred and hopelessness and forgave those who had a hand in putting him behind bars. His recount of prison life is raw and graphic, but it also shows that the men behind bars are not animals and that each of us need forgiveness and friendship. The only part I found difficult to read was the recount of his trial. It absolutely infuriated me that a judge and jury could hold so much prejudice against a man because the color of his skin. The judge that presided over Mr. Johnson's case is now retired, but there were times I wanted to write the most brandishing letter admonishing him for not upholding the Judicial Code of Ethics. However, C.C. Johnson forgave, so must we.
This is a definite must read for anyone interested in the criminal justice system. It is an eye opener of how things can go wrong for a charged offender. But, like Mr. Johnson said, we must have laws and even with its imperfections, our system of justice is still the best in the world.

In literary terms, it might be easy to smirk at some of the posturing taken by Mr. Johnson in the story. Reflections on self and faith often seem self-serving. However, under the extraordinary fate of his circumstance, 16-plus years in prison for a brutal crime he did not commit, and for a crime he was exonerated for from the get-go that seemed to dog his life in the criminal justice system, his observations are both believable as well as commanding of respect. The writing is exemplary, but it's the story that is important. This is necessary reading regardless of your views on criminal justice. And beyond that, a reader feels compelled to shed tears for Mr. Johnson even if he does not expect them. More importantly, closing the last page, it becomes impossible not to wish constant happiness in his life to atone for the wrongs done to him, if such atonement could be possible.