A big goal of mine when I started reporting on criminal justice for NNS was, of course, to learn about the institutions that make up the “criminal justice system” itself. This included the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Milwaukee’s local jail, law enforcement agencies, the district attorney’s office and the courts.

Devin Blake covers gun violence solutions and criminal justice at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)

But I know that covering criminal justice from the point of view of the officials that lead these systems misses the voices that NNS was founded to prioritize: the people affected by these institutions.

Derek Williams’ story is not about how these institutions are supposed to work but how they actually work, and what that reality means for the lives of people caught up in Wisconsin’s criminal justice system. Those impacted also include Williams’ family, loved ones and the community as a whole.

Williams’ story was the exact type of story I want to keep learning and writing about this year.

Read the story here.

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My most memorable story of 2025: His 180-year prison sentence was cut after saving a guard’s life. Years later, he’s still waiting to go home.

by Devin Blake, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
January 1, 2026

<h1>My most memorable story of 2025: His 180-year prison sentence was cut after saving a guard’s life. Years later, he’s still waiting to go home.</h1>
<p class="byline">by Devin Blake, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />January 1, 2026</p>

<div class="wp-block-group">
<p>A big goal of mine when I started reporting on criminal justice for NNS was, of course, to learn about the institutions that make up the “criminal justice system” itself. This included the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, Milwaukee’s local jail, law enforcement agencies, the district attorney’s office and the courts.&nbsp;</p>
</p></div>
<figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-full"><img src="https://milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/devin.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-127285" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Devin Blake covers gun violence solutions and criminal justice at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. (Photo by Jonathan Aguilar / Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service / CatchLight Local)</figcaption></figure>
<div class="wp-block-group">
<p>But I know that covering criminal justice from the point of view of the officials that lead these systems misses the voices that NNS was founded to prioritize: the people affected by these institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
</p></div>
<p>Derek Williams' story is not about how these institutions are supposed to work but how they actually work, and what that reality means for the lives of people caught up in Wisconsin’s criminal justice system. Those impacted also include Williams’ family, loved ones and the community as a whole.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Williams’ story was the exact type of story I want to keep learning and writing about this year. </p>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
<h4 class="wp-block-heading has-background" style="background-color:#f6f4f4"><a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2025/10/13/his-180-year-prison-sentence-was-cut-after-saving-a-guards-life-years-later-hes-still-waiting-to-go-home/"><strong>Read the story here</strong></a><strong>.</strong>&nbsp;</h4>
<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />
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My most memorable story of 2025: His 180-year prison sentence was cut after saving a guard’s life. Years later, he’s still waiting to go home.

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