A.C.L.E.
Abnormal Lifestyles & Correctional-Lived Experiences
My name is Nathaniel L. Williams, and I am the Founder and Director of A.C.L. EXPERIENCES.
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My life began in instability. I experienced childhood removal through the Department of Child Services, entered the justice system at 12 years old, and spent years in juvenile placements, detention centers and the Indiana Boys School, as I struggled with substance use disorder. That cycle followed me into adulthood, where I received a 41.5-year sentence and served nearly 17 years in the Indiana Department of Correction before my release on March 12, 2026. My transformation did not happen overnight. It came through hard truth, deep reflection, and intentional rehabilitation.
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During incarceration, I completed more than 40 rehabilitative programs and earned certifications that changed how I think, lead, and live. But some of the most important lessons did not come from coursework alone. They came from years of observing, listening to, and learning from the lives of the men around me. Through informal case study, long-term peer observation, and lived experience, I began to recognize repeated patterns—trauma, instability, poor decision-making cycles, lack of guidance, and normalized dysfunction.
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I came to understand that many of us were living what I now call an abnormal lifestyle: a way of life that, if left unchallenged, too often leads to incarceration or death. I know that path because I lived it.
Founder Positioning
Today, A.C.L. EXPERIENCES exists to interrupt that path for youth and young adults across Indiana. Our work centers on mentorship, conflict resolution, preventative education, and lived-experience-based engagement that builds trust, accountability, and self-awareness before deeper system involvement takes hold.
This mission is urgent.
The Indiana Department of Correction reported that among juveniles released in 2021, 32.04% were re-incarcerated within three years. At the same time, Indiana’s Department of Correction was appropriated about $1.0 billion for FY 2026. Indiana stands at a crossroad. Every year, millions of taxpayer dollars are spent responding to crime, incarceration, and recidivism—yet the system continues to cycle the same outcomes. The question is no longer whether reform is needed.
The question is: Will we prepare the next generation of decision-makers with real insight—or leave them relying on theory alone?
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A.C.L. EXPERIENCES was built in response to that reality. We believe communities should not keep paying for failure when they can invest in prevention, mentorship, and credible intervention. Our commitment is to help young people recognize harmful patterns early on, foster a new sense of direction, and cultivate safer outcomes for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Our Mission
A.C.L. EXPERIENCES (Abnormal-Lifestyle & Correctional Lived Experiences) is committed to reducing violence, substance use, and recidivism across Indiana through mentorship, conflict resolution, substance use education, and prevention-based programming grounded in lived experience, accountability, and trust.
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We use real-life insight—not theory—to reach individuals at risk, address the root causes of harmful behavior, including substance use, interrupt destructive patterns, and guide individuals toward healthier decisions and long-term stability. At the same time, we work to strengthen the justice system by bringing authentic, experience-driven education into criminal justice classrooms, professional trainings, and institutional spaces.
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By bridging the gap between lived reality and academic theory, we equip both individuals and professionals with a deeper understanding of behavior, substance use, system involvement, and what it truly takes to prevent recidivism and create lasting change.
Our
Vision
We envision a safer Indiana where cycles of violence, substance use, and incarceration are no longer normalized, but actively disrupted through prevention, education, and lived-experience leadership.
A.C.L. EXPERIENCES strives to become a leading force in reshaping how communities, schools, and justice systems understand and respond to at-risk individuals—transforming reactive systems into proactive, prevention-driven solutions that address both behavioral patterns and substance use challenges.
Through strategic partnerships with schools, universities, correctional institutions, and professional organizations, we aim to embed real-world insight into education, policy, and practice—creating a future where prevention is prioritized, rehabilitation is effective, recovery is supported, and every individual has access to a pathway beyond the “abnormal" lifestyle.