Fred Hampton Jr. to speak at Metro State’s 2025 mass incarceration conference

Fred Hampton Jr. will serve as the keynote speaker for the 2025 Understanding and Responding to Mass Incarceration (URMI) Conference on Friday, April 11, at Metro State University’s Saint Paul campus.

This year’s theme, Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Incarceration, centers on the human impact of unjust imprisonment and the broader systems that enable it. Presented in partnership with Minnesota Wrongfully Convicted Judicial Reform (MNWCJR), the conference will highlight stories of those wrongfully convicted and examine mass incarceration as a violation of human rights.

Centering lived experience and activism

Hampton Jr., president and chairman of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee and the Black Panther Party Cubs, will deliver the morning keynote. A lifelong activist and son of civil rights leader Fred Hampton, he brings decades of insight into state violence, political incarceration, and resistance movements.

In the afternoon, attendees will hear from Marvina Haynes, founder and executive director of MNWCJR. Haynes’ advocacy is deeply personal—her brother Marvin was exonerated and released after spending nearly 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

A call for justice and reform

“Wrongful conviction and wrongful incarceration are injustices that damage many lives, including those who are wrongfully incarcerated and their families and communities,” said Metro State Professor Dr. Therissa Libby. “It disproportionately affects Black families and other families of color. Exoneration, if it happens at all, can take decades, only compounding both the injustice and the profound harm done.”

The URMI conference, now in its 12th year, creates space for public education, dialogue, and action around carceral injustice—amplifying the voices of survivors, scholars, and advocates.

Event details

📅 Date: Friday, April 11, 2025
📍 Location: Metro State University, Saint Paul Campus
🎟️ Free and open to the public | Registration required | Space is limited

About Metro State

Metropolitan State University, a member of Minnesota State, is a public, urban institution offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. It is recognized for its commitment to lifelong learning, equity, and professional development.