Federal Bureau of Prisons

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

FAMM challenges policymakers nationwide to #VisitAPrison

Despite legislating for prisons and the people who live in them, very few policy makers visit them

WASHINGTON – Today, FAMM launched the #VisitAPrison campaign to encourage local, state, and national policymakers to visit a prison or jail in their states or districts in the next year.

“Laws are written for prisons and jails across the country and voted on by people who’ve never set foot inside them,” Ring said. “This is such a simple step for policymakers to take, and anyone who visits will learn something by talking to the people who live and work in these facilities. Our message is simple: You don’t know if you don’t go.”

Our nation’s prisons and jails are in crisis. Staff shortages, poor healthcare, crumbling infrastructure, and other chronic problems have resulted in prisons that are unsafe to live and work in for prisoners and correctional officers alike.

To assist in the effort, FAMM has mobilized families, advocates, allies, and public figures to share their stories via video using the #VisitAPrison hashtag and to challenge policymakers to educate themselves about the conditions of confinement in federal and state prisons and jails.

For more information, including a tracker of lawmakers who have visited a prison, visit FAMM.org/visitaprison.

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.