What do the three face after their 18 year incarceration?:
Shea Wilson, an Arkansas Department of Correction spokesman, says that
no inmate has ever walked off death row like Echols.
Most inmates have some notice of impending release, Wilson says, in order to prepare for life on the outside. Typically, prison officials work with inmates on a parole plan that includes programs designed to help them transition to a new life.
The three men were teenagers when they were arrested. In prison, they grew up in a hostile environment surrounded by violent offenders, says Reamer, who also serves on the Rhode Island Parole Board. Echols has lived in solitary confinement for ten years, and now he has to learn daily human interaction.
While in prison, Echols married Lorri Davis, a long-time defender of the three men. One challenge will be learning how to maintain that relationship.
“Sudden liberation, while wonderful, can also be absolutely overwhelming,” Reamer says.
According to experts, recently released prisoners have three areas of concern. They must adapt to the practical side of an unstructured world – making life decisions for the first time and learning new skills like working a smart phone. Second, community support is a must. And third, they need psychological attention to understand their experience.
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/west-memphis-three-what-will-they-do-now-theyre-out-prison