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...
Douglas Lindsay
A veteran and a Mental Retardation Specialist, Douglas received a life-without-parole sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine and cocaine base. President Obama granted him a commutation on July 13, 2015, and he was...Read More
Timothy Tyler
Tim Tyler was sentenced to a mandatory life sentence in federal prison for selling LSD through the mail. He was 25 years old when he was sentenced and has spent nearly half of his life behind bars. On August 30,...Read More
Oliver B.’s Story: Prison Is the Wolf That Scatters Sheep
My brother has served 25 years of a mandatory life sentence for a nonviolent drug offense. John is now 70 years old with no prospects of being released. The impact of outdated sentencing laws is not only tying the hands...Read More
Cynthia Powell: 25 Years for 35 Pills
Cynthia Powell was not an addict. She was not a dealer. She sold 35 of her diabetes pain pills to a confidential informant—for $300. Just enough to make ends meet that month. Next thing she knew, she was arrested, charged,...Read More
Celestia Mixon
Celestia began using drugs at a young age to cope with her father’s abusive behavior. She turned to selling meth to feed her addiction and was indicted for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth while in possession of a...Read More
Paul Fields
Categorized as a “Career Offender” because of prior nonviolent offenses, Paul Fields was sentenced to 15½ in federal prison on one count of growing marijuana. Happily, his sentence was commuted by President Obama in December 2016. He will be released in the fall...Read More
Melissa Trigg
Melissa Trigg received a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and an additional five-year mandatory minimum sentence for possessing a gun at the same time. UPDATE: Melissa Trigg was released to the...Read More
My Story: Veda A.
“Robert has much to offer society, if given the opportunity.” UPDATE: Veda’s brother Robert was released from BOP custody on July 19, 2019, after receiving his “goodtime” fix from the First Step Act. Read More