John Thompson

John Thompson (he/him) is an organizer with the Abolitionist Law Center, primarily working and advocating to eliminate death by incarceration, solitary confinement, and the release of all aging and geriatric prisoners. He is the founder and executive director of New Hope Community Services, a grassroots community organization advocating for both social and political issues. He is also the co-founder of Urban Inspiration, a community organization that provides resources, and mentoring to children and young adults. He has organized political campaigns for candidates in both state and national elections. John spent over 37 years in prison, after being convicted at the age of 17 and sentenced to death by incarceration. He has a degree in paralegal studies, and worked as a jailhouse lawyer for over 20 years while incarcerated in state prison. He currently sits on the Data & Safety Monitoring Board of the National Institute of Health and National Institute on Aging. He currently resides in Philadelphia with his wife and young daughter.