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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Inspector General Report Details Dramatic Mismanagement in Federal Prison Compassionate Release Program; Findings Confirm Human Rights Watch-FAMM Criticisms of BOP Program. After conducting a comprehensive review of the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) compassionate release program, the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) has concluded that the BOP “does not properly manage” … Read More

I have great news to share with you. Today, U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013, H.R. 1695, in the U.S. House of Representatives. In March, U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced an identical version of the Justice Safety Valve Act, … Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Testifying this morning before the U.S. House subcommittee that funds the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Prisons (BOP), FAMM President Julie Stewart urged Congress to enact a broad sentencing “safety valve” in order to cut wasteful spending and reduce prison overcrowding. Yesterday, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) … Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – FAMM President Julie Stewart today hailed the introduction of The Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013 (S. 619), a bipartisan federal bill that would save taxpayer dollars by reserving scarce federal prison beds for the most dangerous offenders. The bill creates a “safety valve” that allows federal courts to impose sentences below … Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — FAMM President Julie Stewart today marked the 10th anniversary of Michigan’s decision to throw out the state’s drug mandatory minimum sentencing laws by noting that Michigan residents are safer now and are spending less to incarcerate nonviolent drug offenders. “Michigan’s experience is a powerful lesson for other states considering sentencing reform. Twenty years … Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — FAMM Vice President and General Counsel Mary Price today welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that it would modify its process for reviewing applications from prisoners for compassionate release. Ms. Price is the co-author of “The Answer is No: Too Little Compassionate Release in US Federal Prisons,” a report published last November … Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – FAMM President Julie Stewart today hailed the introduction of new bipartisan legislation in Georgia to reform the state’s drug mandatory minimum sentencing laws. The bill, HB 349, would add a “safety valve” so that judges could impose a shorter sentence in cases involving low-level, nonviolent offenders. “More and more states recognize that … Read More