Kempis “Ghani” Songster was imprisoned in 1987 for murder. Despite his age of 15, he was certified as an adult, convicted of first-degree murder, and received a mandatory life sentence without parole. He became what is called a “juvenile lifer.” While in prison, Kempis developed and facilitated prison programs such as Cultural Awareness and Self-Enhancement (CASE) and From Trauma to Triumph, and also co-designed and co-facilitated the Fathers And Children Together (FACT) program . He has co-founded outside nonprofits such as The Redemption Project and Ubuntu Philadelphia (https://vimeo.com/286002778); and is a founding member of Right To Redemption, which helped launch Philadelphia’s Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration (CADBI). After 30 years of incarceration, Kempis was released from prison, at the age of 45. Since his release, he has joined the staff at the Amistad Law Project, where he continues to work for the release of others, as well as to end the sentencing of human beings to life without parole/death by incarceration. He is also a member of Ecosocialist Horizons, where he has joined the fight for a more livable planet.
- Toxic Environments Webinar - Speaker