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
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.
Photo credit Alex Gagne
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
A Harold Parker, currently at MCI, Shirley, is a dedicated mentor and advocate, known for his integrity, strength, and compassion. He has guided countless incarcerated individuals toward personal growth, accountability, and hope. His leadership and unyielding commitment played a key role in organizing a coalition committed to ending life without parole, advocating for second chances, and exposing the tremendous individual and societal costs of extreme sentencing laws. Working closely with We Are Joint Venture and as a liaison for CELWOP, he provides invaluable updates to incarcerated individuals and facilitates State House testimonies. Harold Parker has served over twenty-five years of a life sentence, wrongfully convicted, he maintains, under the doctrine of criminal joint venture.
Partners and Advisors
Tony Harris
Tony Harris, currently at MCI Norfolk, is a committed mentor and advocate, who stresses responsibility, growth, healing, and hope. As such, he facilitates the Young Men's Evolution Circle, part of the MCI Norfolk’s restorative justice retreats for those between the ages of 18 and 35. Inspired by his association with the African American Coalition Committee (AACC) and assisted by Cynthia Goldberg of the Campaign to End Life Without Parole (CELWOP), he founded the nonprofit, Black Rights Organization Dismantling Inequalities (BRODI), dedicated to enhancing awareness of the socioeconomic forces that shape racial inequities and governmental policies. Following his penchant for making a difference through the legislative process, he created the bill, An Act Regarding Human Nature - Bill 4016, filed by Russel Holmes in the 2025 Massachusetts Legislative Session. This bill allows the neuroscience of the fight or flight response to be considered in criminal proceedings involving self-defense or felony murder. Tony Harris is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s Degree in Communications at Emerson College.
Charles Mendez
Charles “Charlie” Mendez currently at NCCI Gardner, is a steadfast mentor with the Eastern Massachusetts Correctional Facility (EGL), supporting and guiding other incarcerated individuals. His leadership reflects a strong commitment to accountability, rehabilitation, and personal growth. Charlie is a role model for others, demonstrating consistent discipline, structure, and responsibility. He is a strong voice for self improvement through education and is a dedicated advocate for ending life without parole, offering lived experience to inform reform efforts and second chance policy. Charles Mendez has spent over 16 years serving a life sentence. He maintains that his conviction does not reflect the full truth of his case.