About Rob

Robert Will was born in Harris County, Texas in June 1978. Raised in an extremely turbulent household. Rob’s early years were far from idyllic. He was physically and sexually abused from a very young age throughout his childhood. When Rob was ten years of age, his father was murdered. Always a bright student, Rob started to get into trouble with the law at around age 17 and was sent to boot camp for 18 months. This structured environment allowed Rob to excel and earn his GED with a high grade point average. After this, he enrolled in Child Psychology courses at Houston Community College because he wanted to help children who, like himself, were having a hard and painful life.

In 2000, Rob’s son was born. Rob was overjoyed, although this now left him with the responsibilities of being a father to his newborn son as well as stepfather to his girlfriend’s older child. Within the year, Rob would be wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death.

Rob has been held now for 19 years in confinement of up to 23 hours a day, enduring conditions of intense loneliness and deprivation, fighting for his life. Breakfast is served at 2:30am, lunch at 9:30 and dinner at 3:30. There are only two meals on weekends in order to save the State of Texas money. It is common for those held in such conditions to give up hope altogether, yet this has not been the case for Rob. He never passes up the opportunity for a chance to better himself. Since his incarceration he has become a certified Yoga instructor, published writing and completed a distance paralegal diploma. Rob is an avid reader and enjoys books on psychology, art, history, and literature. He takes a very active role in his appeals process.

Rob also co-founded The DRIVE Movement. The DRIVE Movement is a group of inmates and activists organizing and participating in non-violent direct actions; fighting for improved prison conditions from within the prison walls.

A passionate and self-taught artist, Rob creates exceptional work given the very limited supplies Texas’ death row allows. He has had art exhibitions in New York and Miami, USA; Hamburg, Germany and Brighton, UK, to great success.

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