Arizona

Contact:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM Partnering with Arizona’s START on Criminal Justice Reform

The organizations will work together to help families in Arizona become advocates for sentencing and prison reform

WASHINGTON – FAMM has announced a partnership with The S.T.A.R.T. Project — Striving to Achieve Reform Together — to engage more families with incarcerated loved ones in Arizona to become advocates for sentencing and prison reform.

“Plagued by outdated mandatory sentencing laws and unsafe prisons, Arizona is in desperate need of smart justice reform. We think it’s time for the state’s elected leaders to listen to the people most affected by Arizona’s counterproductive sentencing and prison policies and to pass reform,” said FAMM president, Kevin Ring. “We are excited to help START in promoting long overdue sentencing changes and meaningful prison reform and oversight.”

FAMM will work with START to mobilize affected families and individuals, using proven best practices in grassroots organizing, targeted volunteer recruitment and mobilization, and the latest online engagement strategies.

“We are excited to partner with FAMM because they understand that impacted families have an important voice that needs to be heard,” said Lillian Coppess, President of START. “Arizona is long overdue for passing smart criminal justice reform. With FAMM’s support, we intend to identify, inform and mobilize families and individuals who know firsthand what reforms our state needs.”

For nearly 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’s focus on ending a one-size-fits-all punishment structure has led to reforms to sentencing and prison policies in six states and is paving the way to programs that support rehabilitation for the 94% of all prisoners who will return to our neighborhoods one day.

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ABOUT FAMM
FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safeguard taxpayer dollars and keep our communities safe. Founded in 1991, FAMM is helping transform America’s criminal justice system by uniting the voices of impacted families and individuals and elevating the issues all across the country.

ABOUT START
The START Project — Striving to Achieve Reform Together — is Arizona’s Prison Reform Movement, advocating for changes to harsh sentencing laws, improved prison conditions, and reentry resources for returning citizens.