Press Releases - FAMM

Press Releases

American Correctional Association Endorses Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Reform

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

On August 13, at its annual meeting in Washington, D.C., the American Correctional Association (ACA) passed a resolution supporting legislative reform of mandatory minimum sentencing laws. The ACA is the world’s largest correctional association, with thousands of prison and jail wardens and correctional officers among its membership. The ACA is the latest voice in a … Read More

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A Historic Day for Sentencing Reform

Monday, August 12, 2013

Today was a historic day in our fight for smarter sentencing laws. For the first time in the 20+ years I have been at this, the U.S. Department of Justice has admitted our arguments are right and that eliminating some mandatory minimums will make us safer. (Oh, and it will save us billions of dollars, … Read More

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FAMM Applauds DOJ Call for Sentencing Reform, Changes in Prosecutorial Practices and Compassionate Release

Monday, August 12, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. – FAMM president Julie Stewart today welcomed the U.S. Justice Department’s proposals for reforming federal criminal sentencing laws and prosecutorial charging practices. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the Department’s proposed reforms in a speech to the American Bar Association today in San Francisco.  “For the past 40 years, the Department of Justice, under … Read More

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FAMM Hails ALEC Endorsement of Sentencing Reform; Says Sentencing Valve Proposal Improves Public Safety, Save Money

Monday, August 5, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. – FAMM President Julie Stewart today praised the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization comprising conservative state lawmakers from around the country, for approving model legislation to reform mandatory minimum sentencing laws. The model bill, known as Justice Safety Valve Act, would authorize judges to depart from a minimum sentence in certain … Read More

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New Bill Shows Growing Bipartisan Support for Sentencing Reform

Thursday, August 1, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. — FAMM government affairs counsel Molly M. Gill today said that a new sentencing reform bill introduced in the U.S. Senate demonstrates growing bipartisan support for fixing federal mandatory minimum sentencing laws. The bill, S. 1410, the Smarter Sentencing Act, is sponsored by Senators Richard Durbin (D-IL), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Senate Judiciary Committee … Read More

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Same Level of Safety for a Half-Billion Less; FAMM President Reacts to New Crack Guideline Retroactivity Report

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. — FAMM President Julie Stewart released the following statement today in reaction to the U.S. Sentencing Commission’s latest Preliminary Crack Retroactivity Data report:  Consider for a moment how proud members of Congress would be if they used the best available evidence and data to reform a federal program in a way that maintained all … Read More

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Prison Fellowship Founder Honored With Task Force

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives’ Appropriations Committee has approved the FY 2014 spending bill that funds the Departments of Commerce and Justice. An exciting part of the funding bill would provide $1 million for the Charles Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections, a 9-member panel that would review the federal prison system’s … Read More

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FAMM: Marissa Alexander Case Shows Need to Reform 10-20-Life Law

Friday, July 19, 2013

GAINESVILLE, FL. — FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums) Florida Project Director Greg Newburn today called on Florida lawmakers to prohibit the application of the state’s “10-20-Life” mandatory minimum gun sentence law in self-defense cases.  “A lot of attention has been paid to Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law and far too little to the state’s extreme, … Read More

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Appropriations Pushes BOP on Compassionate Release

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

WASHINGTON, D.C. — FAMM Vice President and General Counsel Mary Price today saluted the House Appropriations Committee for including language in its fiscal year (FY) 2014 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations report that urges the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to make better use of its authority to grant compassionate release to more federal prisoners. FAMM has … Read More

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