Free to Succeed: Ernest Boykin
“2027” is written boldly on the back of Ernest Boykin’s phone as a reminder of the year he would have been released, had he not...
A Lifetime of Remorse and Service to Others
Too many people in Pennsylvania are serving long prison terms that don’t make communities safer. There are plenty of people locked up like David Mandeville,...
When a Second Chance Means Powerhouse Advocacy
There’s nothing romantic about prison. But here’s a FAMM story that’s undeniably romantic. It’s about what happens when fierce advocacy, Fantasy Football, 35 birthday cards,...
A Racist Disparity, the EQUAL Act, and One Man’s Redemption
The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 reduced the disparity in sentencing for crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses from 100:1 to 18:1. But true justice...
Motivating everything we do here at FAMM are real people—prisoners, families with loved ones locked up, returning citizens—who experience firsthand our broken criminal justice system. When FAMM started more than three decades ago, it was the stories of these people that defined our mission and our work. And that hasn’t changed.
On this page, you’ll find many different kinds of stories, featuring people of all stripes from all over the country. Each and every one of their stories shows in sharp relief the problems with bad sentencing laws and prison policies. We hope that these stories educate and inspire you, just as they do for us.
Stephanie Nodd
Desperate to make ends meet as a 20-year-old single mom to three young kids, Stephanie Nodd became involved with a drug dealer. Eventually, she was caught up in the conspiracy that would bring both of them down—and she was sentenced...Read More
Michael Daniels, Sr.: A Long Sentence “Sucks the Life Out of Someone”
This father shares a special bond with his son, one forged in cooking, family foods and traditions, and lots of father-son time—not to mention that they share a name. That bond remains strong even as the whole family suffers during...Read More
Jacqueline C.’s Story: “There Is No More Pretending to Be Okay”
Jacqueline’s mother has been in prison since 1999 on drug conspiracy charges. Her deterioration in prison has been shocking—and has taken a huge toll on the whole family. UPDATE: Jacqueline’s mother benefited from the FSA and was released on December...Read More
My Story: Danielle W.
Danielle’s husband Keith is currently serving a 270-month mandatory minimum sentence. Danielle has written a book about her experiences as a “prison wife” and an accompanying blog, https://forthelivesofprisonwives.com/. UPDATE: Keith was released to the halfway house on February 19, 2019. Read More
Edna Harris: Getting Past the Pity Party
Here’s how and why on how I have become an advocate for my ex-husband, incarcerated in federal prison. Yes, you read that right: ex-husband. We are still close, and I can’t sit by and watch injustice. The more I ponder...Read More
Derrick Cain
Derrick Cain was sentenced to a 10-year mandatory prison term for selling cocaine. When his wife went back to school to become a pediatric nurse, Derrick’s salary alone wasn’t enough to keep them afloat, so he worked during the day...Read More
Nicole Walker: Her Sobriety Didn’t Matter at Sentencing
Nicole was an addict who got clean, turned her life around, and was a productive member of society. But the judge was unable to consider any of this when sentencing her to a mandatory 10 years in prison. UPDATE: Nicole...Read More
Rufus Rochell: A Gentleman and a Gentle Man
Despite his 35-year sentence for a drug crime, Rufus Rochell remains upbeat, kind, and forward-looking. For more than three decades behind bars, he’s immersed himself in service to others—a kind of remarkable self-rehabilitation. UPDATE: Rufus was released after more than...Read More
Yolanda Flournah-Perkins
In 2004, two semesters before she was set to graduate from the University of Central Florida with a degree in criminal justice, then-23-year-old Yolanda Perkins was sentenced to 37 months in prison for possession of stolen mail, a white-collar offense....Read More