Amistad Law Project (ALP) is a public interest law firm that organizes against mass incarceration, represents incarcerated individuals, and supports defunding the police. ALP was founded in 2014 by Black feminist lawyers seeking to abolish life-without-parole sentences. ¹

Amistad Law Project is the sister organization of Amistad Movement Power. ²

Activities

Amistad Law Project claims that social inequality is the root cause of violence, and that incarceration is not the solution. To this end, ALP campaigns to support mental health crisis response instead of police intervention, advocates for legislation that reduces sentences for people serving life without parole, and produces films and podcasts that share stories of incarcerated people. ³

Amistad Law Project advocates directly with district attorneys for elder parole, to garner support from the Pennsylvania DAs Association (PDAA). ALP puts pressure on local district attorneys to hold them more publicly accountable. To this end, Amistad Law Project mobilizes people, works with faith leaders, and speaks to the press when a DA does not support its position. ⁴

Amistad Law Project advocates for the release of inmates through the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. ALP assists inmates with the commutation application process, provides guidance for individuals supporting the early release of those inmates, and seeks to influence the Prosecutors’ offices. ⁵

Funding

Amistad Law Project is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and businesses. While ALP does not disclose its donors, tax filings confirm donations from the Vera Institute of Justice ($160,000 in 2021), ⁶ Independence Public Media Of Philadelphia ($85,600 in 2020), ⁷ and Pennsylvania Voice ($60,000 in 2021). ⁸

Staff

Kris Henderson is co-founder and executive director of Amistad Law Project and a co-founding member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration. Henderson sits on the steering committee of Free The Ballot! Incarcerated Voter Family Network and on the board of Black Youth Project 100. ⁹

Nikki Grant is co-founder and policy director of ALP. Grant is a founding member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration and sits on the board of the Abortion Liberation Fund of Pennsylvania. ¹⁰

Sean Damon is the organizing director of ALP and a co-founding member of the Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration and Free The Ballot! Incarcerated Voter Family Network. ¹¹

Board of Directors

Stephanie Keene is a former national vice president of programs at the Momentum Advisory Collective. Keene is a member of the Greater Freedom Think Tank and a co-organizer of the Abolitionist Study Group. ¹²

Candace McKinley is the lead organizer at the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund and a member of Up Against the Law Legal Collective. McKinley is a former member of Black Lives Matter Philadelphia and Philly REAL Justice. ¹³

Martha Williams is the coordinator at Fight For Lifers. Williams is a member of Coalition to Abolish Death By Incarceration, No 215 Jail Coalition, and the North Philly Participatory Defense Hub. ¹⁴

Christi Clark is the founder and director of the Organizing Center in Philadelphia. ¹⁵

Pardiss Kebriaei is a senior staff attorney at the Center for Constitutional Rights. Kebriaei formerly worked in the international program at the Center for Reproductive Rights. ¹⁶

1.  “About.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed October 1, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/about.
2. “About Amistad Movement Power.” Amistad Movement Power. Accessed October 1, 2023. https://amistadpower.org/about-amistad-movement-power.
3. “About.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed October 1, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/about.
4. “Advocating for the Pennsylvania DAs Association to Support Elder Parole.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed October 1, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/advocating-pennsylvania-das-association-support-elder-parole.
5. “Second Chances at the Board of Pardons.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed October 1, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/second-chances-board-pardons.
6. Vera Institute of Justice, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
7. Independence Public Media Of Philadelphia, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
8. Pennsylvania Voice, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2021, Schedule I, Part II.
9. “Our Team.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/our-team.
10. “Our Team.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/our-team.
11. “Our Team.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/our-team.
12. “Stephanie D. Keene.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniekeene/
13. “Board of Directors.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/board-directors.
14. “Board of Directors.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/board-directors
15. ^[1] “Board of Directors.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/board-directors.
16.  “Board of Directors.” Amistad Law Project. Accessed September 26, 2023. https://amistadlaw.org/board-directors.