A Benton Harbor man who has been in jail since the mid-1970's, for a crime he says he didn't commit, is now out on parole.

But 58-year-old Floyd Caldwell, who was 25 when his prison sentence started, says he isn't bitter; even though others say his sentence was one of the harshest they'd ever seen.

Caldwell received two consecutive life sentences for the knifepoint robbery of a retired judge and his wife back in 1975.

He says his attorney recommended he forgo a jury trial; so his conviction and sentence came directly from a judge.

The former judge and his wife, and the judge who sentenced Caldwell, have since passed on.

Even though Caldwell maintains his innocence, he says he's ready to move on, and now he's eager to make a difference.

For Caldwell, a nice hot lunch as a free man has a new feel to it, after 33 years in jail.

"We know that (the sentence) was quite excessive," Caldwell said Tuesday.

"You can look back and use it as a crutch to say, OK, I'm bitter because this happened to me. Or I'm bitter because the justice system did all of these things. It wasn't right. But what good would it serve?" Caldwell said.

Instead, he wants to work on the positive

"Why focus on myself, when I can stop someone else from going through what I went through?" Caldwell said.

Caldwell is certified in the culinary arts, and plans to take cooking classes at The Opportunity Center in Benton Harbor, that assists with re-introduction into society.

He wants to stay in Benton Harbor to mentor others, too.

"It wasn't my original choice (to stay). But it's my choice now, after I've seen what's happening, I wouldn't have gone any other place," Caldwell said.

What's happening is a lot of progress in Caldwell's eyes. He says he followed the events in Benton Harbor from jail, as it appeared to take a downturn over the course of his sentence. However, he feels it's now on the upswing, and wants to be a part of that movement.

The Opportunity Center says Caldwell will be a strong influence as a mentor, because the strength to move on and leave your past behind is a key attribute to pass on to former convicts.

"You can do all the right things, but you can't make someone want to change if they are not bothered by things that they do," said Virgil Hatcher, the mentoring coordinator for the Opportunity center. Hatcher was friends with Caldwell in prison; he was released in January of this year.

And for Caldwell, the anger and bitterness of a lifetime lost… is lost.

"Bitterness is something like when your negative energy is turned in on you. It's like a dog trying to chase its tail; you'll never catch it. I didn't have the inclination to be in that cycle," Caldwell said.

Caldwell says he also wants to work with a Berrien county circuit judge on a legal self-help program. He wants to work on judicial reform in the county.

He's been going around Benton Harbor since he got out earlier this August, and says he's excited about the future, and wants to be a part of the change for the better.

Caldwell's story of how he ended up in jail is that he got a ring from a friend, which he tried to get appraised at a local jeweler.

He says he didn't question where it came from… that greed "overwhelmed" his reason.

The ring was linked to the robbery, and ultimately he was arrested and convicted.

Caldwell has a wife, Cynthia, who lives in Muskegon. They were married while he was incarcerated.

WNDU originally contacted Floyd Caldwell for this story. He says he'd rather not have the media attention, but was willing to share his story.