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

FAMM Urges House to Oppose Mandatory Minimums in Pennsylvania Bill

HARRISBURG – FAMM’s Pennsylvania State Policy Director Celeste Trusty released the following statement after Rep. Todd Stephens introduced amendments containing mandatory minimum sentences to SB 501:

“It’s one thing for pop culture to borrow heavily from the ‘80s, but we can and should expect better from the people writing our laws. Mandatory minimum sentencing is the worst kind of throwback: it’s expensive, it doesn’t lower crime rates, and puts more people behind bars for needlessly long sentences.

“We can’t support these much-needed bills with these mandatory minimums included. We urge the members of the House to remove them. If the bills pass with them included, we urge Gov. Tom Wolf to veto them. Let’s find a sensible way to make Pennsylvania better.”

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.