I have great news to share with you. Today, U.S. Representatives Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) introduced the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013, H.R. 1695, in the U.S. House of Representatives. In March, U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced an identical version of the Justice Safety Valve Act, … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, DC — FAMM President Julie Stewart commended U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) after he called for eliminating federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws. Senator Paul’s comments came during a speech he made to students at Howard University, a historically black college in Washington, DC. Last month, Senator Paul and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 100 celebrities, faith and business leaders, lawmakers, athletes and civil rights advocates signed a letter to President Barack Obama asking him to improve national criminal justice policies by focusing more on intervention and rehabilitation. The coalition, brought together by hip-hop pioneer Russell Simmons and Dr. Boyce Watkins, offers the president … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. – Testifying this morning before the U.S. House subcommittee that funds the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Bureau of Prisons (BOP), FAMM President Julie Stewart urged Congress to enact a broad sentencing “safety valve” in order to cut wasteful spending and reduce prison overcrowding. Yesterday, Senators Rand Paul (R-KY) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. – FAMM President Julie Stewart today hailed the introduction of The Justice Safety Valve Act of 2013 (S. 619), a bipartisan federal bill that would save taxpayer dollars by reserving scarce federal prison beds for the most dangerous offenders. The bill creates a “safety valve” that allows federal courts to impose sentences below … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. — FAMM President Julie Stewart today marked the 10th anniversary of Michigan’s decision to throw out the state’s drug mandatory minimum sentencing laws by noting that Michigan residents are safer now and are spending less to incarcerate nonviolent drug offenders. “Michigan’s experience is a powerful lesson for other states considering sentencing reform. Twenty years … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. — FAMM Vice President and General Counsel Mary Price today welcomed the announcement by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) that it would modify its process for reviewing applications from prisoners for compassionate release. Ms. Price is the co-author of “The Answer is No: Too Little Compassionate Release in US Federal Prisons,” a report published last November … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. – FAMM President Julie Stewart today hailed the introduction of new bipartisan legislation in Georgia to reform the state’s drug mandatory minimum sentencing laws. The bill, HB 349, would add a “safety valve” so that judges could impose a shorter sentence in cases involving low-level, nonviolent offenders. “More and more states recognize that … Read More
Read MoreWASHINGTON, D.C. — A new report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) says that the increasing use of mandatory minimum sentences and other policy changes adopted over the past 30 years have contributed to an unprecedented and unsustainable growth in the federal prison population. The report, titled, “The Federal Prison Population Buildup: Overview, Policy Changes, … Read More
Read MoreWashington, D.C. — FAMM applauds the comments of U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) at the Georgetown University Law Center this morning in Washington, DC. Sen. Leahy, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, strongly opposes mandatory minimum sentences and called today for their repeal and reform at the state and federal level. Chairman Leahy included … Read More
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