DC/DOX: “The Second Life of Freddie Nole” is a Life-Changing Ride
It’s nothing new to say that the prison system in the United States is flawed and broken. When a person is released at the end of their sentence, they need someone to come pick them up. Usually, if they no longer have anyone who can do that, they’re dropped off at a transit hub or given a Greyhound ticket. Freddie Nole knows what it’s like to walk out of those prison doors after a long sentence. In the short documentary by Dana Nachman, The Second Life of Freddie Nole, we see Freddie returning to the place he spent 49 years. Now he’s a free man with a mission.
Freddie picks people up. When the camera starts to roll, the audience sees him talking on the phone about a time and a place. He and his wife, Susan Beard-Nole, are making quite a few stops today. First they’re going to Goodwill. Then they’re going to the prison to pick up Edward, who will be released today. After getting Edward, they begin to put the wheels of their endeavor into overdrive.
Courtesy of DC/DOX
Edward was Freddie’s 62nd pick up. The 62nd person Freddie has helped adjust to life outside of prison. He buys them clothes, a phone, takes them to lunch, and works to find them a job. Freddie knows what it’s like to return to life on the outside after a prolonged sentence, and he offers the kind of support that doesn’t exist elsewhere. Our prison system is not built for rehabilitation. It doesn’t provide resources for the recently incarcerated, and it’s unsurprising that 66% of people released from U.S. prisons are re-arrested within three years. According to The Second Life of Freddie Nole, nearly all who have taken a ride with Freddie are still living free.
The Second Life of Freddie Nole is, at its core, about how much the smallest things in life can have the largest impact. We’re better people and a better society when we look out for one another. A ride, a warm meal, and connections are monumental and life-changing. Freddie Nole chooses compassion in a time when that kindness is becoming rarer by the day. The Second Life of Freddie Nole is much like the man himself. No frills, empathetic, and light-hearted. A verité look at one man’s mission to use his newfound freedom to encourage others to use their lives for similar pursuits.
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