Homeless After 22 Years in Prison: Robert’s Fight to Survive on the Streets of Atlanta

Robert is a 67-year-old man who spent 22 years in prison and now faces a new kind of punishment: homelessness. After being released from prison with no support or resources, Robert has been living on the streets of Atlanta for over five years. "I did the time society asked me to do, but now I’m homeless at 67,” Robert explains, highlighting the harsh reality that many formerly incarcerated individuals face.

Despite his efforts to rebuild his life, finding work has been nearly impossible. Ageism and his criminal record keep employers from giving him a chance. "Nobody’s going to hire me at 67," he says. Even when he got hired at a Waffle House, a background check revealed his past, and the job was taken away before he even started. Robert does what he can to survive, including cutting grass and flying a sign—panhandling—a task he describes as "degrading, but I have to survive."

Robert’s story isn’t unique. Thousands of people like him are released from prison only to end up homeless. With no safety net or housing options, many return to crime, feeding a vicious cycle of recidivism that’s costly for everyone. As Robert says, "So many people get out of prison and have nowhere to go." By failing to support people after incarceration, the system sets them up for failure, perpetuating homelessness and crime.

This story sheds light on a broken criminal justice system that doesn’t end when time is served. Reforming this system to ensure that individuals like Robert don’t end up on the streets is not just a moral imperative, but a practical one. Studies show that providing housing and support services is far more cost-effective than allowing people to fall into homelessness and possibly return to prison. Solving homelessness benefits everyone—by creating safer, more stable communities and reducing the burden on public services.

As Robert reflects on his life, he wishes for things many of us take for granted: "I wish I’d never sold drugs. I wish I had a place to live. I wish I could get a job." His experience is a powerful reminder that homelessness is not a choice—it’s a systemic failure. To prevent and solve homelessness, we must ensure that no one is left to fend for themselves after incarceration. Let’s work together to reform the criminal justice system and create a future where everyone has a safe place to call home.

More:

From a Tent to a Home: No Longer Homeless    • From a Tent to a Home: No Longer Homeless  

Finland Solved Homelessness: Here's How    • Finland Solved Homelessness: Here's How (S...  

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About Invisible People

There is a direct correlation between what the general public perceives about homelessness and how it affects policy change. Most people blame homelessness on the person experiencing it instead of the increasing shortage of affordable housing, lack of employment, childhood trauma, lack of a living wage, or the countless reasons that put a person at risk. This lack of understanding creates a dangerous cycle of misperception that leads to the inability to effectively address the root causes of homelessness.

We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.