About the Founder

Joseph Williams was born in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of six children. By the time Joe was in his teens, one of his four brothers had been killed and two others were in prison. Not recognizing their downfalls as cautionary tales, Joe left home at 15 and, for the next 13 years, gave in to a life driven by crime and drugs.

When Joe was 19, he was drafted into the Army. Already addicted to drugs, especially heroin, he didn't serve long before he resumed his former practices of abusing drugs and committing crimes. While stationed in what was then called West Germany he was arrested by the German police for robbery. He was sentenced to two years of hard labor and given a Bad Conduct Discharge from the army. He served a one-year in the military prison at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Then, when he was 28, Joe met two young men from backgrounds similar to his own. These were men who had successfully overcome their drug dependencies and walked away from lives of crime and drug addiction by putting their faith in Jesus Christ. They showed Joe that the change he so desperately wanted was indeed possible. Joe committed his life to Jesus Christ and began a new life.

Joe Williams is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of New Creations Community Outreach, an international ministry model for serving prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. He annually hosts the nation's largest faith-based prisoner reentry conference and is the founder of the Christian Association for Prison Aftercare. He is also the author of Sheep in Wolves' Clothing: When the Actions of a Christian Turn Criminal, a gripping memoir that recounts his powerful story of redemption and transformation. To read more about his book or to order a copy, go to http://www.sheepstreet.net/.

Joe received a Bachelor of Religious Education degree in Urban Studies and Bible from William Tyndale College and a Master of Arts degree in Applied Sociology from Wayne State University. He graduated cum laude, and was elected to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities and to Delta Epsilon Chi National Honor Society.

Joe has worked with and inspired thousands of prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families since 1982. Recognized as a true visionary, he has become one of the most sought-after prisoner reentry authorities in the country and is a frequent speaker and panelist at reentry forums around the nation. Joe has testified before numerous bodies, including the U.S. House of Representatives and the National Institute of Corrections, on the subject of prisoner reentry. He serves on the national advisory board for the Billy Graham Center's Institute for Prison Ministry.

In 2006, Ashoka, an international organization that recognizes outstanding social entrepreneurs, elected Joe an Ashoka Fellow. For Joe's profile at Ashoka, and more on this important global association, please visit http://www.ashoka.org/node/3934.

Joe has been married to his wife, Sharon, since 1985. They have two sons, Anthony and Stephen, two daughters, AnnDrea and Gabrielle, and one granddaughter, A'Layah.