Joseph Williams Bio

Leading social entrepreneur Joseph Williams is on a mission to restore the lives of those affected by crime. His passion for helping the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated and their families reach their God-given potential is born from his own personal battles.  In his gripping memoir, Sheep in Wolves’ Clothing: When the Actions of a Christian Turn Criminal, Joseph simultaneously recounts his own personal triumph over drugs, crime and prison and becomes a conduit of freedom for others. 

As Founder and CEO of New Creations Community Outreach (formerly Transition of Prisoners), he developed and implemented a number of innovative approaches that have helped others to experience total restoration. An evaluation of New Creations’ TOP program conducted in 2000, found that those who graduated from the TOP program were ten times less likely to have any further contact with the criminal justice system than a control group consisting of those who did not go through the program.  As a result of the innovation and success of the TOP program, Joseph was recognized as an outstanding social entrepreneur in 2006 by Ashoka: Innovators for the Public, a global organization that promotes unique ways of addressing pressing social problems.

As Founder of the Christian Association for Prison Aftercare (CAPA) he used his vast experience and knowledge to inspire and teach numerous organizational leaders and criminal justice professionals around the world. These successes continue to provide Joseph with the opportunity to share his expertise, as well as his surprising humor and quick wit with other professionals at various forums around the nation.   Among them are the prestigious bodies of the U.S. House of Representatives and the National Institute of Corrections.  Joseph also serves on the national advisory board for the Billy Graham Center’s Institute for Prison Ministry.

As Co-Founder and Senior Consultant for the Nehemiah Consortium he draws from his decades of experience to provide consulting and training to various agencies and organizations around the nation. Included among his clients have been the U.S. Department of Justice, the Billy Graham Center, the Southern Baptist Convention and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Since 1997 Joseph has hosted over 30 regional, national and international criminal justice-related conferences. Thousands of criminal justice professionals and volunteers have benefited from these dynamic gatherings.

He currently serves as Senior Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Consultant with American Institute for Research, where he serves as a Core Coach for the National Reentry Resource Center. He provides TTA for adult community reentry providers of justice-related services in urban and rural areas under the Second Chance Act, Mentoring and Community Based Adult Reentry track.