About
CELWOP is part of a national and international movement seeking an end to life without parole. We are led by those currently or formerly incarcerated, the loved ones of those serving extreme sentences, and those harmed by violent crime who envision a new way forward.
We advocate for legislative reform, partner with research organizations studying the societal impacts of extreme sentencing, work with people who are currently incarcerated to identify their priorities for reform, and collaborate with other organizations to provide community education and support.
Leadership
Founder, Sean Ellis
Sean Ellis is committed to ending life without parole sentencing. He a motivational speaker, and a staunch advocate of criminal justice and prison reform. He has co- founded Exoneree Network and serves as a Trustee on the New England Innocence Project board. Sean is a recipient of the 2021 Boston Mountaintop Award for Advocacy related to Black Innocence within the criminal justice system. Sean’s recently released NETFLIX Docu-Series, Trial 4 has elevated his voice internationally as he continues to speak about his experiences with racism and injustice within the criminal justice system. Sean spent 22 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.
Chair, Karter Reed
Karter Kane Reed is an advocate, activist, mentor, volunteer, and public speaker. He served more than twenty years in prison from the age of 16 until his release at age 37. He went on to earn a 4.0 average and a degree from Mt. Wachusett Community College and has lectured in New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts regarding his experience and the need for criminal justice reform. Karter has been a relentless advocate for second chances and has testified on multiple occasions before the Massachusetts legislature and Department of Correction. He has also spoken at numerous colleges, including Clark University, William James College, and Harvard University. Additionally he served as a volunteer with the United Way and Roca, and is a former board member and community organizer with EPOCA. He currently lives with his wife in Maine and remains an active proponent of ending LWOP.
Community Organizer,
Cynthia Goldberg
Cynthia Goldberg is the Founding Director of The F8 Foundation, which works with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated men to create release and treatment plans for those eligible for parole. Cynthia currently serves on the boards of: Ronald A. Burgess Jr. Foundation, Inc., a youth at risk program, We are Joint Venture, Inc., and BRODI - Black Rights Organization Dismantling Inequities. She is a member of the Cross Coalition Group, which advocates for legislation for a fair and just system, and DVSJA, a Massachusetts coalition in support of the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. Cynthia is the former President of the Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, and former board member of Dress for Success, Worcester. She lectures frequently at universities, churches, and long term treatment programs and has testified before the Massachusetts Judiciary Committee numerous times on behalf of ending Life Without Parole, the Mass Second Look Act, and parole supervision reform. Through incarceration, parole, and probation, Cynthia gave 14 years of her life to the system and is now a tireless advocate for those in need of a second chance.