Hi, I'm William One, a national enterprise reporter for The Washington Post.

I wrote a story as part of our Deep Read series, which showcases narrative journalism here at the Post.

The story is about John Freddie Knoll. When he was 17, he robbed a candy store and was sentenced to life in Pennsylvania prison.

And after 49 years, he finally got out, but he struggled to find anyone willing to give

him a job.

So he did this crazy thing.

He started picking up prisoners on the day they're released.

These are men who can't find a single relative or friend willing to give them a ride when they get out.

And the story is about what happens on these car rides. The advice Noel gives these men about how to survive on the outside, even as he struggles to do the same. And it's really a story about the thin

line that exists between hope and despair. I wanted to tell the story because I

wanted to understand the challenges and the temptations that these men face. How hard it can be

once you get out of prison to stay out. The stories read by a narrator from our partners at the

app, Noah, News Over Audio.

Okay, here we go.

Norristown, Pennsylvania.

As he waited outside the razor wire next to the prison gate, John Freddie Knoll,

struggled for the right words to say to the man who would soon be walking out.

It had been five years since Noel came out those same prison doors.

He remembered the gleaming plans he had back then.

He'd run a place of his own, reconnect with family, revel in the pride that comes with a paycheck and a purpose.

It all seemed naive now, looking back, I didn't have a clue, said Noel, 72, shaking his head.

He kept a stack of rejection letters on his kitchen table from all the jobs he'd tried to get in recent months and failed.

...