Dr. Joseph Williams grew up in Brooklyn raised by his mother and grandmother — but the streets pulled him toward fighting selling crack and eventually a four year bid in New Jersey. When he got out he went back to the same world. Then came the movie theater robbery that changed everything — an 11 year sentence in New York State prison that should have ended his story but instead became the beginning of a completely different one.
In this episode of Locked In with Ian Bick, Joe tells the complete story — from growing up in Brooklyn to the streets to Rikers Island to the movie theater heist to 11 years in New York State prison to earning his college degree behind bars to becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Doctor of Social Work dedicated to breaking the cycle of recidivism. This is one of the most extraordinary prison to doctorate transformation stories we have ever told on this show.

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Connect with Dr. Joseph Williams:
Website Link: lyfechessynk.com
Email: lyfechess.ynk@gmail.com
Instagram: @Dr.4joegi
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dr-joseph-joe-williams-dsw-lcsw-88b41584
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https://secure.helloalma.com/provider...

Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick:
https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?h...
https://ianbick.com/

Timestamps:
00:00 Robbed a Movie Theater — Got 11 Years — Then Became a Doctor of Social Work — Joe's Full Story
01:01 Dr Joseph Williams — From Brooklyn Streets to Social Work
01:18 Growing Up in Brooklyn and What That World Really Looked Like
02:33 Raised by His Mother and Grandmother and What That Foundation Really Meant
05:07 His First Fights and School Trouble That Defined His Early Years
09:31 His Identity His Anger and the Violence That Followed
13:13 Early Arrests and What Growing Up Without a Father Really Did to Him
18:53 Meeting His Crew and What Entering Street Life Really Involved
23:20 His First Real Hustles for Money and What That World Really Looked Like
27:29 Guns Power and the Respect That Came With Street Life
31:01 Losing Friends to the Streets and What That Grief Really Did to Him
39:20 Getting Shot in 1990s Brooklyn and What That Moment Really Felt Like
45:57 Rikers Island on Gun Charges and What Surviving That Required
52:20 Prison Survival and the Hustle Mindset That Got Him Through
57:59 Getting Out and Going Straight Back to the Hustle
01:05:07 The Movie Theater Heist That Changed Everything and What That Night Really Looked Like
01:10:00 Living With the Consequences of That Decision
01:16:03 How Clinton Prison Completely Changed His Mindset
01:26:01 The Education That Saved His Life and What Pursuing a Degree Behind Bars Required
01:33:02 His Journey From Prison to Social Work and What That Transformation Involved
01:40:00 Healing Trauma Through Therapy and What That Process Really Required
01:45:02 His Buried Versus Planted Philosophy and What That Means to Him
01:46:01 His New Mission and the Community Work He Is Building
01:48:38 His Advice to His Younger Self
01:48:54 His Final Reflections and What He Wants Everyone to Take Away