Felony Murder Elimination Project asks our supporters and advocates to take action and help us bring Dortell WIlliams home today!
California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued hundreds of pardons and commutations for people serving excessively long prison sentences. Why is Williams still locked up?
Williams is not just a number among the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation’s lists. He’s a mentor who teaches coping and social skills to his incarcerated peers. He works with crime survivors to help them heal from trauma though his expertise gained from personal self-reflections and a long journey of his own. His road is one of transformation. While incarcerated, Williams earned six academic degrees, while empowering many individuals to reshape their lives and reintegrate on returning to their homes and communities.
While inside, Williams has helped countless people. Among them are James King, Director of Programs for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights who met Williams while serving a prison sentence at Lancaster and impacted his life in a significant way.
“In that prison, on that yard, Williams was a person who was helping set a culture that allowed all of us to treat ourselves, as well as the staff, with dignity and respect,” said King, who was eventually freed. “He was the first person to encourage me to write, and to use my voice for advocacy. That encouragement has always meant the world to me, and is a big reason for how I spend my time to this day.”
Williams has spent close to 37 years locked away from the world. In that time, his efforts to interact, learn from, and mentor those who are “free” have created a place for him back in the community. Now we can act to see him be truly free among us.
Please visit the website Free Dortell Williams to take action today and learn about Williams’ work with others and his own personal growth journey.
You can also read more about Williams in “It’s Time to Free Dortell Williams” by Sonali Kolhatkar at the LA Progressive website. LA Progressive is an independent, justice-driven publication amplifying the voices, struggles, and triumphs of those working toward a more equitable America.
