Marissa Alexander Finally Released from Prison, 'Stand Your Ground' Prisoner Says, "I'm Looking Forward To Closing This Book," in First Interview After Being Released to House Arrest [WATCH]

MStars News has learned that Marissa Alexander, 34, has finally been released from a Jacksonville, Florida jail this week after being initially sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2012 warning shot that she fired in the air to warn her allegedly abusive husband to stay away from her.

In her first television interview since her release Tuesday, Alexander talked with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper about her plea deal that freed her after being in prison for three years.

When asked by Cooper how it feels to be out of prison, Alexander said, "Relief, excited, I'm happy to be out."

Alexander hasn't done an interview since 2012 and says, "I think that is just one of those things that is unfortunate, I'm looking towards the future ... I don't look back, it wasn't easy, but I'm stronger and looking to moving forward."

She used the "stand your ground" defense and says that at this point she doesn't really feel different about her defense but says, "At the end of the day it doesn't matter. I think that now that I'm out, I can't really go back and change what wasn't decided or has been decided. I'm grateful that I'm out now, and can just put all that to bed."

After just having a baby, and hearing that she was initially sentenced to 20 years behind bars, Alexander says that, "you can't even digest something like that, I don't believe I really accepted that sentence, I believe that I was going to fight but it's just something you can every really digest."

As for what made her decide to take the plea deal, "I needed to guarantee to my children that I would be home," the mother says.

Some of her supporters believed that race played a role in her incarceration. Alexander says, "I'm really moving forward, not spending time in negative aspects of that, it can get really draining so I really look forward to the future, I kind of don't spend any time in that area."

During the full interview Alexander talked about her daughter whom she had given birth to that was only 6 months old when she went to jail. Her daughter is now 4 years old.

"We're in love, she knows that I'm her mom," Alexander assures.

Cooper asked so what's next, as the freed woman said, "Looking forward to being able to close this book, I just want a whole new book."

She is under house arrest and subject to monitoring, but she can go to appointments, church, and school and much more. Alexander revealed that she wants to go to school to become a paralegal.

Alexander was facing charges that could have thrown her in prison for 60 years, but she thanks her lucky stars, and the belief in herself that the plea deal she took back in November would prove her innocence.

Alexander's controversial case has resulted in the planning of a new state law permitting warning shots in certain situations.