About the Episode
I was honored to sit down with Troy Williams, a man with a powerful story about how he navigated his way back to himself after serving 18 years of a life sentence in San Quentin State Prison. He has embraced his conviction for what it was and positioned his experiences in life as tools that now help him inspire transformation in others.
While serving time in prison, Troy was able to step all the way outside the box of one would typically imagine for an inmate and create a media organization inside the walls that confined him. In this episode he shares with me about his passion for being a student of life, his evolution towards listening to his inner knowing, and how love for his family kept him anchored in his humanity.
We each relished the moment of being in the company of another storyteller. I share stories so we can stop betraying ourselves and flourish into who we are meant to be (particularly once we heal from internalized oppression). Troy shares stories to inspire the possibilities of transformation and amplify the voices of currently and formerly incarcerated people. We share in common a commitment to storytelling that is outside of what’s typically highlighted in mainstream media. Check out this episode where Troy shares his journey and how he got to his life’s work as a storyteller after incarceration. His work building @restorativemedia is only beginning and sure to be impactful.
About Troy Williams
Troy Williams has served 25 years of his life in juvenile and adult prison facilities. While incarcerated, he became a certified paralegal, wrote for San Quentin News in the early days, founded the first video and award-winning audio production program within a prison called the San Quentin Prison Report (SQPR). Williams recently formed a limited liability company named Troy Williams Productions and a not-for-profit organization, named Restorative Media, whose mission is to develop transformative stories for social change. Williams’ passion and life purpose is to empower others and help them find their voice – just as he found his.
Episode Resources
- The Prison Within Documentary: The Prison Within
- Troy’s website
- (7) How parolees are sentenced to fail | Troy Williams | TEDxSanQuentin – YouTube
- Books
ABOUT KIESHA GARRISON
Kiesha Garrison is a professional emcee and public speaker whose work focuses on personal discovery and courageous conversations that connect us to our true selves and community.
