Tony Mantor: Why Not Me ?
Rita Williams: How One Woman Transformed Personal Trauma into Criminal Justice Reform
19 Apr 2025
Send us a text Rita Williams turned personal tragedy into powerful advocacy when her spouse was unexpectedly sentenced to 10-20 years in prison, revealing deep flaws in the criminal justice system and sparking her mission to expose judicial misconduct and support others facing similar challenges. • Former federal employee who pursued a master's in criminal justice before her spouse faced white-collar charges • Discovered her spouse had high-functioning autism only after his incarceration, highlighting how the system fails neurodivergent individuals • Used blogging, websites, and social media to expose a prosecutor with 18 years of misconduct, eventually forcing him to relocate • Advocates for criminal justice reform, particularly ending solitary confinement and creating better supports for people with autism • Works with Michigan Citizens for Prison Reform and helps coordinate legislative days to connect lawmakers with those affected by the system • Creates resources to guide people through the legal system and protect them from predatory practices • Emphasizes the importance of being informed about the criminal justice system before you need it Tell everyone everywhere about Why Not Me, the World, the conversations we're having and the inspiration our guests give to everyone everywhere that you are not alone in this world. https://tonymantor.com https://Facebook.com/tonymantor https://instagram.com/tonymantor https://twitter.com/tonymantor https://youtube.com/tonymantormusic intro/outro music bed written by T. Wild Why Not Me the World music published by Mantor Music (BMI)
Full Episode
Welcome to Why Not Me? The World Podcast, hosted by Tony Mantor. Broadcasting from Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee. Join us as our guests tell us their stories. Some will make you laugh, some will make you cry. real life people who will inspire and show that you are not alone in this world.
Hopefully, you gain more awareness, acceptance, and a better understanding for autism around the world. Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to Why Not Me? The World, Humanity Over Handcuffs, the Silent Crisis special event. Today, we're thrilled to welcome Rita Williams, a distinguished strategist and consultant dedicated to empowering mission-driven organizations.
Rita excels in crafting bold, data-informed programs, policies, and campaigns that are deeply rooted in lived experiences. Her expertise lies in designing trauma-informed, equity-driven initiatives, leading DEI transformations through justice-informed leadership training, and championing second-chance hiring strategies.
She also provides strategic guidance on evidence-based policy, grant development, and stakeholder engagement. With a compelling personal story and a wealth of insights to share, Rita is here to inspire and inform. So if you could share some of your experiences and your journey on how it led you to where you are today.
Yeah. So what got me into all of this, it was, I guess we'll start from when I was a teenager is the easiest place if I've always had a love for what makes people tick. And as a result, I thought I was going to grow up and be a true crime writer. I wanted to be like Anne Rule. She's actually still one of my heroes.
And as I grew up and got older, I realized writing does not pay the bills and was talked into more practical workflow and careers. I ended up becoming a public servant for the federal government, finished a bachelor's degree. And it was during the pandemic that I realized there's more to me than all of this. There's more to me than this problem solver at work.
I want to go make a difference in the world. And at that point in time, I went and pursued a master's in criminal justice, hoping that I could eventually transfer to Department of Justice. The plans that life had for me were so much weirder because my spouse ended up getting accused of a white collar crime just two months after I graduated from my program.
Wow, that's too bad. That's just really unfortunate. What happened from there?
Being educated, having a master's degree level education, believed I have an idea of how the system works. These are the things that should happen. Then having a crash course with it, supporting somebody who is now a defendant, I realized, no, this is not at all the case. Things are very different than how I perceived them to be.
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