SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Being featured on a hit TV show about incarceration wasn't on Sacramento resident Curtis Williams' mind when he was first sentenced to 17 years in prison for robbery as a teenager.
But, after leaving prison, Williams says he realized he could empower other formerly incarcerated people by speaking openly about his life and experience behind bars.
He says his platform to help others is only getting bigger with his ongoing television appearances.
"I did enough time for everybody around me to know what not to do. I don't want to come on here and be like 'This is my life, it's a movie and follow my footsteps' — Hell no," said Williams. "I was gone from my neighborhood for so long, this is my time to give back."
He was a happy kid growing up in Del Paso Heights during the 80s, with his family having long-time roots in the area.
The now 43-year-old looks back and realizes he lacked the guidance needed to stay away from trouble, leading to his first stint in juvenile hall when he was just 9-years-old.
"The shoes didn't fit me, the pants didn't fit me and the shirts hung off me," said Williams. "Juvenile hall was like another big school to me. I had a bunch of big brothers looking out for me and even the staff because they couldn't fathom somebody that young being in there."
In addition to incarceration at a young age, he was also in group homes, psychiatric hospitals and programs like the Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento.
Then, at the age of 17, Williams received nearly 20 years in prison, serving part of it at the nearby Folsom State Prison.
"It had to be a wake up call, seeing my mother fall out in the Sacramento County Jail court because her oldest son is going away for a long time," he said.
After getting out and serving another sentence in 2018, Williams says he launched his online platform and started networking with other formerly incarcerated social media figures.
He began sharing stories on his YouTube channel about the criminal justice and prison systems, amassing more than one million views in the process.
It was then he realized his passion for wanting to help other formerly incarcerated people, but also wanting to give back to Del Paso Heights.
Williams says he's going to start donating his time to the neighborhood mentorship nonprofit Brother 2 Brother to help combat violence among youth in the community.
"I look so forward to giving my time back to these kids that at first I might have felt like I wasn't the best example, but now based on the moves I've made and my heart, I look forward to giving back to this community," he said.
You can follow Curtis Williams (@DirtyWeather916) and check out his YouTube channel at Curtis williams (@clydell60daysin) | Instagram.
