Diane’s Story: I Moved 180 Degrees on Compassion
Diane has been a part of the FAMMily for years now. She is a tireless advocate for her husband, and she is a source of...
Compassionate Release Clearinghouse: Damiene Lewis
On April 24, 2020, Damiene Lewis was granted compassionate release and sent home. “That’s a huge blessing,” he says now, from his mother’s home in...
Jomari DeLeon: Pressured Into a Terrible Decision
Jomari DeLeon made two drug sales over 24 hours, making less than $200. Kingpin? Hardly. Yet this first-time offender was sentenced to 15 years. Even...
Chris Young: “Barely on the Totem Pole” and Life in Prison
The judge at Chris Young’s trial described his life sentence as “way out of whack.” The absurdity of his punishment is matched, though, by the...
Charles Brown: Moving Forward to Give Back
It doesn’t take a lot these days to make me happy. Being with family makes me smile. Just sitting on my steps, listening to music, watching people go by. Some stop to chat, some say hi, and others simply walk by....Read More
Claire’s Story: Advocacy Starts Small, Then Blossoms
My name is Claire Tate. I am the vice president of the Arizona criminal justice reform nonprofit the S.T.A.R.T. Project (Striving to Achieve Reform Together), one of FAMM’s partners. We are on a mission to band together system-impacted family members...Read More
Andrea’s Story: Their Trust Is an Honor
Andrea Davis advocates tirelessly for people in prison and their families with FAMM, Florida Cares, and other groups. She coordinates the efforts of Florida Cares in outreach for school supplies and Christmas gifts for the children of the incarcerated. Here...Read More
Compassionate Release Clearinghouse: Lynn Reece
Even after 25 years of prison food, Lynn Reece hasn’t forgotten how to cook. Before he got in trouble, he ran a successful restaurant in Houston, The Real Meal. “It was home-cooked dishes. Everything that your mom’s going to prepare...Read More
Pandemic in Prison: “Seasoned in the Art of Solitary Confinement”
Celeste Monette Blair is serving 30 years in federal prison. Prison life is more chaotic than ever now, yet somehow she is able to find a sort of peace, and even to give something to us through her words. Here’s...Read More
Diane’s Story: I Moved 180 Degrees on Compassion
Diane has been a part of the FAMMily for years now. She is a tireless advocate for her husband, and she is a source of information, support, and compassion for many other families. Here is her story. Read More
Guadalupe Velazquez and Her Baby Are in Danger
May 2020 — Guadalupe Velazquez is more than seven months pregnant. She and her fiancé have named the baby Beya Natalia. It’s the first child for both of them, and they have all the usual fears about being new parents....Read More
Compassionate Release Clearinghouse: Damiene Lewis
On April 24, 2020, Damiene Lewis was granted compassionate release and sent home. “That’s a huge blessing,” he says now, from his mother’s home in Baton Rouge. His release was months in the making, but actually happened one week earlier...Read More
Donna’s Story: For Better or for Worse — Getting Through the “Worse”
One day in May 2010, I received a phone call from my best friend, who asked me if it was ok to give my email address to a man in prison (her former brother-in-law) who I dated in my early...Read More