Oct. 26, 2026 7:30a
(WGTD)---A former state prison inmate is on a quest to reform the criminal justice system. Specifically, Haisan Williams hopes that a jurisdiction will find merit in his ideas and implement his plan which is outlined in a 237-page book he wrote titled “New Correctional Theory: A Framework for Evidence-Based Community Corrections.”
Williams spent 23 years behind bars for a series of offenses. He got to know UW-Parkside Emeritus Professor Jonathan Shailor, who founded the Shakespeare prison program. Shailor is now a co-host of WGTD’s Education Matters and had Williams on the air recently to talk about his ideas
For one thing, Williams argues that filling prisons is not necessarily the best way to keep communities safe. "The illusion of safety is more important than I think damage wise than the actual production of a safer environment," he says.
Williams suggests we’d be better off with a greater emphasis on community corrections for non-violent offenders. He pushes the idea of creating a new type of corrections employee he calls “accountability officers.” They'd have a low case load, and daily contact with the people they would supervise.
While his book is complete and for sale on Amazon, Williams says he plans to produce additional research while pursuing his doctorate with an eye on offering 'proofs' that his new system would work.
Two programs featuring Williams, and Parkside Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Aubri McDonald, are available online.
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