Since they were pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump, Todd and Julie Chrisley have been seeking to settle back into their day-to-day lives. They’ve also been adamant, however, about wanting to become true advocates for prison reform. While “Pardon Czar” Alice Marie Johnson advised they should take their time in doing so, but they’ve already taken such steps. One of the most recent ways in which Todd did just that was by showing support for a former inmate who was recently released from prison earlier than expected.
How Did Todd Chrisley Show His Support?
Melvin Williams – an ex-New Orleans police officer – was released years after being convicted in connection to a man’s death. Per Fox 8, in 2005, a handyman named Raymond Robair was beaten by Williams, who was reportedly wielding a metal baton at the time. Robair subsequently had fractured ribs, internal bleeding and a ruptured spleen and was pronounced dead at Charity Hospital. At the time, Williams and fellow officer Matthew Dean Moore also apparently claimed at the hospital that Robair suffered a drug overdose.
Both Williams and Moore were convicted in 2011 for the civil rights violation leading to Robair’s death as well as their claim about the overdose. Williams received a prison sentence that was just under 22 years, and he was released from federal prison this September. Upon Williams’ release, Todd Chrisley picked him up and shared a meal with him. Chrisley, who referred to Williams as a “friend” in his Instagram post, expressed joy over his release and shared some photos featuring him and the former officer:
In his post, Todd Chrisley mentions that he’s of the belief that Melvin Williams’ early release can be attributed to the First Step Act, which was signed into law in 2018. The purpose of this bipartisan law was to help spearhead prison reform by reducing recidivism (the likelihood of an inmate reoffending) through programs. Joe Raspanti, a legal analyst for Fox 8, explains that the act allows the government “a little wiggle room” to provide some leniency to certain inmates for a number of reasons.
Todd Chrisley seems quite pleased with how everything turned out in this particular case. It also marks just another instance in which he’s taken steps to advocate for those behind bars.
What Was Todd Chrisley’s Prison Experience Like And What’s He Been Doing Since His Release?
In 2022, Julie and Todd Chrisley were found guilty of bank fraud, tax evasion and other offenses and sentenced to years in prison. Todd was ordered to serve 12 years at Federal Prison Camp in Pensacola, Florida and, after he reported in early 2023, insiders dropped rumors about how he was holding up behind bars. During an interview in December 2023, Todd claimed the food was subpar and that he’d been photographed while in his cell. While Todd has since facets of the experience weren’t positive, he has noted bright spots, including the bonds he forged with other men, and those represented a kind of camaraderie he “never” had.
Months after Todd was released, he returned to FPC to deliver a speech at the final graduation ceremony for the residential drug abuse program, per Pensacola News Journal. The Chrisley patriarch has also used social media to advocate for prison reform and, just recently, he sat down with Federal Bureau of Prisons director Billy Marshall for a discussion on Chrisley Confessions 2.0.
So, all in all, it seems Todd Chrisley is continuing to stay involved in matters related to prison reform, and time will tell how he continues to do so. At present, though, it would appear that with Chrisley by his side, Melvin Williams now has a major supporter in his corner.