Contact:
Rabiah Burks, 202-822-6700
rburks@famm.org

FAMM President Credits Families as First Step Heads to Senate Floor

WASHINGTON – FAMM President Kevin Ring released the following statement in response to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)’s announcement that the U.S. Senate would debate and vote on the FIRST STEP Act later this week or early next week:

This is huge news. We have many legislative champions to thank for their tireless efforts on getting this bill to the floor. But today we are most grateful to the thousands of affected families and their incarcerated loved ones whose unfair punishments brought the nation’s attention to the need for reform. We wouldn’t have gotten to this point without them. These families have suffered in silence for a long time. This bill is just a first step toward the broader reform we need, but it is an important first step and we gladly support it.

If the Senate approves the FIRST STEP Act, it must return to the House of Representatives for approval before it can go to President Trump’s desk for a signature. The President recently endorsed the FIRST STEP Act.

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 6 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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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.

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