Compassionate Release

For Media Inquiries:
John Norton, 202-999-4268
jnorton@famm.org

FAMM responds to DOJ working group report on sexual abuse committed by federal prison employees

 Washington, D.C. – A Department of Justice (DOJ) working group has released a report with recommendations on how to address sexual abuse committed by Bureau of Prison (BOP) correctional officers and staff. One of the proposals was to provide compassionate release to victims, an idea FAMM recommended in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in May 2022.

In response to the DOJ report, FAMM President Kevin Ring issued the following statement:

“We are glad the Deputy Attorney General has directed the Bureau of Prisons to consider using compassionate release for survivors of sexual assault by corrections staff. But this is not simply a matter of implementation by the BOP, it’s a matter of policy for the Justice Department. DOJ should be telling the BOP to identify abuse survivors and then DOJ prosecutors should start bringing those compassionate release motions.

“There is no reason to make this more complicated than it needs to be, especially for the women abused at Dublin. These women were not sentenced to be sexually abused and tortured. They cannot heal surrounded daily by colleagues of the people who assaulted them. Justice requires that they be released now.

“Ultimately, however, the BOP needs to find ways to prevent sexual abuse, not simply react to it. The culture of concealment must end. The only way for that to happen is for Congress to pass the bipartisan Federal Prison Oversight 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 an inflexible and draconian punishment structure has led to reforms to sentencing and prison policies at the state and federal levels 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 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.

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