STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Matthew Charles is believed to be the first prisoner to regain his freedom under a new federal criminal justice law. He walked out of a detention center in Kentucky last night. He's a man who made national headlines not long ago, ordered back to prison after the government claimed his sentence was reduced in error. Julieta Martinelli of member station WPLN was there when he was released.
JULIETA MARTINELLI, BYLINE: Matthew Charles has been through this before. He had already served 21 years of a 35-year sentence for selling crack cocaine when, in 2016, his sentence was reduced. He thought he'd have a chance to start over. He was out for two years. But the government appealed his release, and he was forced to return to prison in 2018. This time, he says, walking out feels very different.
MATTHEW CHARLES: I still had a dark cloud hanging over my head due to the fact that I know that the government had appealed the sentence. But, today (laughter), that dark cloud has evaporated because, thankfully, the U.S. attorney's offices also agree that enough is enough.
MARTINELLI: Charles was released as a result of retroactive changes to drug-sentencing guidelines by the so-called First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill signed into law by President Trump last month. In a court filing earlier this week, the U.S. attorney's office said they no longer opposed Charles' early release, citing the new legislation. In a written statement to NPR, U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran said it was never about his personal feelings towards Charles. He and the court were just following the law. Charles, now 52, says he's ready to put it all behind him.
CHARLES: Oh, I'm just really, really excited. I'm humbled. I'm thankful. I'm grateful. I'm just - I'm at peace within my soul.
MARTINELLI: As for what's next, Charles hopes his release will help to start the ball rolling for other drug offenders serving long sentences.
For NPR News, I'm Julieta Martinelli in Nashville.