By Esther Wolczynski, CEO of Checkmate
My name is Esther Wolczynski, and I’m honored to lead the work of the non-profit agency CheckMate as the CEO. Our mission is to enhance individuals’ quality of life and increase accessibility to resources by providing safe, inclusive, and uplifting experiences for all families in San Joaquin County. Our focus is the family foundation and recidivism.
In 2020, a fellow community warrior reached out to me about Mr. Williams’s severe charges and the sentencing of his case. Mr. Williams, an African American man, received a 30-year sentence for second-degree robbery and carjacking. This was despite the fact that no one in this crime was physically hurt whatsoever, and this was Mr. Williams’s FIRST offense. I was appalled and intrigued by his severe charging and sentencing.
Over the last 4 years in which I have known Mr. Williams and worked on his case, I have met his 5 young adult children, his 4 precious grandchildren, and other family members who are all a spitting image of him. (They even sound like him when they speak.) Though Mr. Williams has been behind bars as long as I’ve known him, I also know from his family about the encouragement and life he speaks into them through phone calls, his sense of humor, his importance in their lives, and how much their lives would have been completely different had he not gone to prison. When I hear his family talk about him, they continue to confirm with me who he is in life, as well as the critical need for him to return home. Mr. Williams is the leader of their family, and all of them have now become like my own family. They have a huge hole in their hearts, and this will only be repaired upon his return.
The nonprofit organization, R&R Brown’s Push Project Youth Foundation, was created by Mr. Williams alongside his brother. This organization takes the most underserved children and families out of their environments on trips to learn more about themselves, their history, and the power that’s within each of them. While in prison, Mr. Williams actively participates in church services and group activities, eagerly sharing his insights to uplift those around him. His perseverance is unmatched through all the denials, and since I’ve known him, he has even affected my life in awesome ways. His confidence and faith in God taught me that even through frustration, hurt, and confusion, lies the truth and kindness, and we can NEVER give up on ANYTHING that speaks to our spirit passionately. He often talks about turning trials into triumph, and denials into direction.
The RJA itself has been a vehicle of hope for all of us, but its requirements have been lined with gray areas and are hard to navigate at times. The Paper Prisons RJA Data Tool along with compiled data from other resources will assist me with readily available data that can be used to help build up Mr. Williams’s RJA claim.
