For Sentencing Reform
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2010
Contact: Monica Pratt Raffanel, media@famm.org
FAMM Welcomes Conservative Coalition to Battle for Sentencing Reform
“Right on Crime” Leaders Hold Kickoff Press Conference Today
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Julie Stewart, founder and president of Families Against Mandatory Minimums, today welcomed the launch of the Right on Crime campaign, a new project aimed at building support for criminal justice reform, including sentencing reform, among conservative policymakers. The campaign is being sponsored by the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
“I have never believed sentencing reform was a liberal or conservative issue. The administration of justice is an American issue, and our criminal justice system has become a national crisis. Now more than ever, we need a united front to fix our broken federal and state systems,” said Stewart.
“I am grateful for the contribution that some of these conservative leaders have played in recent years,” Stewart continued. Referring to the July 2010 enactment of the Fair Sentencing Act, legislation that dramatically reduced the disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentences and eliminated the mandatory minimum for crack possession, Stewart said, “The crack bill would never have become law without the support of people like Asa Hutchinson, Pat Nolan, Grover Norquist, and David Keene.
“You see this dynamic in politics from time to time. It took Nixon to open China; it took Clinton to sign welfare reform; and it’s going to take conservative policymakers to help us achieve real criminal justice reform. That’s why I am thrilled about this new campaign and I look forward to working together with all of the coalition’s members in the months and years ahead,” concluded Stewart.
For more information on the Right on Crime campaign, visit the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s website at www.rightoncrime.com.
Families Against Mandatory Minimums is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization supporting fair and proportionate sentencing laws that allow judicial discretion while maintaining public safety. For more information on FAMM, visit www.famm.org or contact Monica Pratt Raffanel at (202) 822-6700 or media@famm.org.
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