October 7, 2025

It’s hard to find hope in a terminal illness. But for Darnell Price, the spread of a cancerous tumor opened the door for a new life. It was a chance to spend his remaining days outside of prison.

Two Wisconsin Department of Corrections doctors in 2023 projected Price would die within a year — one of several criteria by which prisoners may seek a shortened sentence due to an “extraordinary health condition,” a form of compassionate release.

October 8, 2025

A few weeks after his 18^th birthday, Jonathan Baake was charged with illegal possession of a firearm – given a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. He had a hard time adjusting to prison life and was transferred twice to higher security correctional centers.

That has his mother on edge. She reports that Wallens Ridge has been on lockdown off an one for months – keeping inmates away from jobs, educational and therapeutic programs and preventing emails, visits and calls. When her son is finally out of his cell, Stephanie Baake says, the place appears no safer.

October 7, 2025

Hawaiʻi is the only state in the nation that does not have a compassionate release law, which allows inmates to be considered for release from prison for medical reasons.

Instead of having a law in place, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation only has an agency policy that advocates say is complicated and lengthy.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 8, 2025

Media Contact:

teamfamm@mrss.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today FAMM (formerly known as Families Against Mandatory Minimums) has announced that Maria Goellner has been appointed as Vice President of External Relations. In this role, Maria will advance FAMM’s national, nonpartisan mission to move America to a system of justice that incentivizes and prioritizes redemption and rehabilitation.

“Maria’s background as a litigator and policy expert will help FAMM translate complex sentencing issues into clear public messaging and will also strengthen our work to advance a fair, effective justice system that upholds accountability and dignity,” said Dr. Shaneva D. McReynolds, president of FAMM. “I’m confident Maria will drive our second-chances agenda forward.”

“Every day at FAMM I have the honor of meeting people all over the country who are working to improve our justice system – families, advocates, lawmakers, and more,” said Maria. “We are a nation of opportunity and second chances, and our laws should reflect that. I am looking forward to using this new role to lead our efforts to grow and support the national community of second look advocates, uplift the critical work of this community in the media and culture, and scale the voices of families and the movement by building relationships and resources in all 50 states.”

In Maria’s previous role, she worked to push forward FAMM’s policy priorities in state legislatures around the country. Before joining FAMM, Maria represented the rights and dignity of thousands of people as a litigator with the Federal Defender for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and previously in Queens, New York and Fort Myers, Florida.

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Dear FAMMily, The 2025-2026 United States Sentencing Commission amendment cycle is upon us! On June 9, 2025, the Commission published its proposed priorities. This is the Commission’s way of receiving stakeholder input on the issues they plan to prioritize this amendment cycle. Many of these proposals will seem familiar to you because they were considered in the last amendment cycle. Three of the proposals that FAMM will be weighing in on are summarized below:

 1. The Career Offender Guideline
The Commission continues to examine the career offender designation, which imposes enhanced penalties on individuals with certain prior convictions. We hope that the Commission will evaluate ways to reduce the impact of the career offender designation on individuals. One way to minimize the impact of this guideline might be to limit the prior offenses that trigger the enhanced punishment.

2. Methamphetamine Sentences
In 2024, the Commission issued a report related to sentences for methamphetamine offenses. Those sentences are some of the highest among all drug offenses. The Commission’s own report showed that the driving forces behind these long sentences (meth purity distinctions) are outdated. The Commission is considering whether to prioritize amendments to address the outdated purity distinction in meth offenses. 

3. The Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Role in Meeting the Purposes of Punishment
The commission is interested in reviewing the Bureau of Prison’s (BOP) role in sentencing and punishment. This could include considering policies that address overcrowding at BOP, access to programs and meaningful education while in custody, among other things. 

What can you do to influence the Commission’s priorities this year? Weigh in on their proposals! 

You can comment on the three listed above, any others the Commission has proposed (you can find the full list here, https://www.ussc.gov/policymaking/federal-register-notices/federal-register-notice-proposed-2025-2026-priorities), or you can propose your own priorities for the Commission to consider. 

The Commission is accepting public comment on its proposed priorities through July 18, 2025. To submit your comment, visit https://www.ussc.gov/policymaking/public-comment and click “Submission Portal.” 

Download our template that you can use to write to the Commission. Feel free to personalize this! Personalizing your message by sharing your story with the Commission helps illustrate what is at stake with these policy considerations.