Contact: Rabiah Burks
rburks@famm.org
202-822-6700

 

Norman Brown Joins FAMM Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, DC – FAMM President Kevin Ring today announced that Norman Brown, deputy project director for the Project New Opportunity (PNO) and a consultant to the District of Columbia’s Department of Rehabilitation Services, has joined the organization’s board of directors. At PNO, Brown manages a team of consultants who help individuals who were incarcerated prepare to reenter society and become productive citizens.

In 1993, Brown was sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent drug offense. He served 24½ years in federal prison before President Barack Obama commuted his sentence in 2015.

“After every opportunity I get to spend time with Norman Brown, I walk away smarter because of his insights and angrier at a system that sent him at 22 years old to die in prison,” said Ring. “Norman is kind, wise, and compassionate. He is using his second chance to help others. I am so grateful that he has agreed to share his unique perspective with us. FAMM will be better off as a result.”

“I am honored and excited to join FAMM’s board of directors,” said Brown. “I have been following FAMM since the group got started more than 26 years ago and I know how many people and families they’ve helped. I look forward to working with Kevin and the board and contributing in any way I can.”

Since leaving prison, Brown has become a well-known advocate for criminal justice reform. He had lunch with President Obama after receiving clemency in 2015 and participate in several panel discussions at the White House on how to reform federal sentencing laws. Brown also has been profiled or quoted extensively in major newspapers and media, including The Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, National Public Radio, and The Huffington Post.

FAMM is a nonpartisan, national advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice reforms to make our communities safe. Founded in 1991, FAMM promotes change by raising the voices of families and individuals who are directly affected by counterproductive sentencing and prison policies.