Plenary: Real Change Begins with Policy Reform

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Jayson Williams, a former NBA All-Star, embodies resilience and redemption. Raised in New York City’s Lower East Side, he overcame the early loss of three sisters and the responsibility of raising their children while playing Division I basketball at St. John’s University. Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers and later signing a $100 million contract with the New Jersey Nets, his rising career was cut short by injury. After a tragic incident led to a 27-month prison sentence, Jayson began his journey of personal transformation. Following treatment for addiction, he discovered traditional rehab was missing a key element—action. That insight led to The Rebound, a treatment facility combining recovery with “Adventure Therapy.” He later founded Rebound on the Road, a program helping formerly incarcerated individuals rebuild their lives through career training, truck driving, and rehabilitation. Rediscovering his own passion for truck driving, Jayson now uses his lived experience to create meaningful opportunities for returning citizens. By partnering with prisons and trade programs, he helps others find purpose through skilled work in trucking, heavy equipment operation, and construction. Jayson’s story is a testament to second chances, grit, and the power of turning personal pain into purpose.