Stanley Williams
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Stanley "Tookie" Williams (born 1954) was the founder, along with Raymond Washington, of the Crips, a Los Angeles youth protection organization that grew into one of the most widely-known and notorious street gangs.
"Tookie," as he is still known, was convicted on four counts of murder by the State of California in 1981, and is currently on death row in San Quentin State Prison.
He has since denounced his life and his role as a gang leader, and writes from prison about the harmful effects of gang life. However, he maintains his innocence of the four murders that he was convicted of.
Williams has been nominated for the Nobel Prizes for peace and literature. He has written a series of children's books that have been popular around the world for their anti-violence message, and helped to broker a truce between the Bloods and the Crips. In 2004, a television movie about him, Redemption, was released. Jamie Foxx starred as Williams.
The State of California is considering clemency for Williams.