W. J. Estelle, Jr. was born March 31, 1931, in Henry County, Indiana. Soon after, however, the Estelles moved to California, where Mr. Estelle spent most of his childhood. Following high school, Mr. Estelle attended Sacramento State College and received a B. A. in Police Science and Correctional Administration. He went on to do graduate work in Criminology at the University of California-Berkeley and at Sam Houston State University.
     Mr. Estelle's first job was with the California Department of Corrections. In eighteen years, his positions ranged from correctional officer to associate warden, and he worked in nearly every area from reception to maximum security. His employment experience also included five years as a field parole officer, two years as Warden of the Montana State Prison, and some experience in teaching correctional administration at two California colleges. Mr. Estelle was also a member of several criminal justice associations and he served as vice-president of both the Association of State Correctional Administrators and the American Correctional Association.
     In September 1972, Mr. Estelle accepted a position as Director of the Texas Department of Corrections. In 1983, he left to accept a position as president of a bank in Consol, Texas.  A year later, Mr. Estelle returned to California, where he has lived ever since. He is presently working in the Industrial Division of the California Department of Corrections in Sacramento.