The morning arrived with bureaucratic efficiency that matched his arrival thirteen years earlier. Ral stood in processing room wearing donated civilian clothes that hung loosely on frame that had lost forty pounds during imprisonment. Guard returned his personal effects—wallet with expired identification, phone that no longer worked, watch that had stopped years ago.
"You're being released to Gateway House halfway facility in Baltimore," release coordinator explained. "Van leaves in thirty minutes. You'll spend six months there under supervision, then transition to independent living if you comply with parole conditions."
"Understood," Ral replied, signing documents that formally ended his imprisonment while beginning supervised release.
The van ride to Baltimore felt surreal. Ral watch
