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

FAMM RESPONDS TO ALLEGHENY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S FAILURE
TO ATTEND CRIMINAL JUSTICE FORUM

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA – Today, FAMM Vice President of Policy Molly Gill issued the following statement in response to District Attorney Zappala’s failure to attend the 2019 Allegheny County District Attorney’s Candidate Forum on May 8th and the comments he provided to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explaining his absence:

FAMM represents families who are directly impacted by the criminal justice system and endure the hardship of having loved ones in prison for years, decades, or even life. Often, these families have also been victims of crime themselves. Their voices should be heard, and their concerns matter. It is a shame that a sitting district attorney thinks so little of meeting with the very families whose lives are directly impacted by his decisions.

The forum focused on criminal justice reform and was hosted by FAMM, Americans for Prosperity Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union-Pennsylvania, Westend POWER, 1Hood, Isaiah Project, the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Black Political Empowerment Project Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration.

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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