Press Release

For Media Inquiries:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM Board announces departure of Kevin Ring as President

WASHINGTON – FAMM Board Chair Julie Stewart announced today that the organization’s president, Kevin Ring, will be leaving in June to become vice president of criminal justice advocacy at Arnold Ventures. Stewart said the FAMM Board immediately would begin a search for Ring’s replacement.

“This is a bittersweet day at FAMM,” said Stewart. “For 15 years, Kevin’s energy, vision and smarts have driven FAMM’s work and led to policy changes that have affected thousands of people in prison and those facing prison. Under his leadership, FAMM has creatively pushed the envelope to get legislators to understand the impact of sentencing laws and prison conditions, leading to successful state and federal reforms.

“But Kevin is much more than a clever strategist. He cares deeply about the people FAMM serves and has often said that he gets his energy from connecting with the FAMM families. That critical combination of head and heart has made Kevin invaluable to FAMM. Arnold Ventures is lucky to have him, and we know he will excel there. The FAMM board wishes Kevin all the best in his new professional chapter,” Stewart added.

Ring joined FAMM in June 2008 and served in a variety of roles before succeeding Ms. Stewart as president in January 2017.

“Julie took a chance on me when no one else would,” Ring said. “She and FAMM saved my life and gave me a purpose when I needed it most. Over the past 15 years, I have had the good fortune to work with some of the smartest, kindest and most dedicated people. I am not certain whether I have become a better advocate, but I know I will leave a better person because of my colleagues at FAMM.

“I want to thank the countless families and individuals who’ve been impacted by our justice system, who shared their stories and lives with me, and who reminded me every day why this work matters so much. Their courage was a constant inspiration that I will take with me.”

During Ring’s tenure as president, FAMM’s budget and staff tripled in size. The organization contributed to significant policy reforms that safely reduced the country’s prison population, including the First Step Act, drug sentencing reforms in California, Tennessee, and Iowa, and the #KeepThemHome campaign, which enabled thousands of people released from federal prison due to COVID-19 to remain home with their families at the end of the pandemic.

Ring and FAMM unveiled a new Second Chances Agenda in 2020, targeting excessive prison sentences, and launched a Second Chances Working Group, comprising advocates from across the country.

Ring expanded the group’s mission to include prison reform and independent prison oversight. He initiated the #VisitAPrison campaign to encourage policymakers to visit prisons and jails in their area to become better informed about prison conditions and the people who live and work there. Ring also expanded the group’s storytelling capacity, adding a video team, which has produced short and long films, including the award-winning documentary, “The Vanishing Trial,” in 2020.

For more than three decades, FAMM has united the voices of affected families, the formerly incarcerated, and a range of stakeholders and advocates to fight for a more fair and effective justice system. FAMM has led the fight to reform extreme mandatory sentencing laws and to promote rehabilitation and dignity for all people in prison, 94 percent of whom will return to our neighborhoods one day.

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FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safely reduce incarceration, save taxpayer dollars, and keep families together. Founded in 1991, FAMM has secured bold sentencing and prison reform across the country while elevating the voices of directly impacted individuals and families.