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
Sean Ellis, Founder
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.
Karter Reed, Chair
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.
Cynthia Goldberg, Community Organizer
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.
Board of Directors
Calvin Arey
Photo credit Alex Gagne
Calvin Arey directs the Albert Woodfox Memorial Mini-Freedom Libraries (AWMMFL), a fiscally sponsored project of Prison Book Program. Calvin spent several years incarcerated in Virginia, Connecticut and Massachusetts in the 1960’s and 1970’s. He is the only surviving lead plaintiff from the landmark prisoners’ rights case Landman v. Royster, which de-segregated Virginia’s prison system, established basic due process rights for incarcerated people, and put an end, among other things, to bread and water diets for people in solitary confinement.
Glen Castro
Glenn Castro is a justice reform advocate and community leader whose work is shaped by lived experience. After serving years of incarceration, he emerged with a deep commitment to transforming the systems that once defined his life.
He has contributed to legislative efforts, spoken at public forums, and supported individuals transitioning from incarceration back into society. His perspective brings critical insight into issues of equity, justice, and systemic reform.
Harold Parker
Harold Parker, now at MCI, Shirley, has endured a life sentence without the possibility of parole for over twenty-five years—wrongfully convicted, he maintains, under the doctrine of criminal joint venture. Despite the weight of this injustice, he has transformed his circumstances into a platform for purpose, becoming a powerful voice for change from behind prison walls.
A dedicated mentor, he has guided countless incarcerated individuals toward personal growth, accountability, and hope. His leadership extends beyond the prison yard, where he has played a key role in supporting and organizing a coalition committed to ending life without parole sentences. Through advocacy, education, and unwavering resilience, he has helped bring attention to the human cost of extreme sentencing laws.
Known for his integrity, strength, and compassion, he continues to inspire both those inside and outside the system. His story is not only one of injustice, but of courage, transformation, and an unyielding commitment to justice and second chances.
Partners and Advisors
Charles Mendez
Charles (Charlie) Mendez, now at MCI, Gardner, has spent over 16 years incarcerated, serving a life sentence tied to a felony murder conviction he maintains does not reflect the full truth. Inside, he has built discipline, structure, and purpose. He lives by accountability, consistency, and loyalty. He is a strong advocate to end life without parole—speaking from lived experience and pushing for second chances rooted in growth and responsibility. Charlie stands as proof that people are more than the worst moment of their lives.