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.
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
Atiba Parker
Atiba was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder at age 24 and started selling small amounts of crack so he could purchase marijuana for self-medication. He is serving a 42-year prison sentence for two counts of sale of cocaine and one count...Read More
Michael Keating
In 2007, Michael was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison for manufacturing a substance or mixture containing methamphetamine. He’d allowed an acquaintance to cook methamphetamine on his property, and although the wastewater that police found contained less than...Read More
Barbra Scrivner
Barbra was addicted to meth as early as high school, and later, when she was struggling to support her daughter, her incarcerated husband encouraged her to sell meth to his friends. Although she claims she ended her ties with the...Read More
Sherman Chester
Sherman received a life-without-parole sentence when he was 27 years old for his involvement in a drug conspiracy. Because of his two prior drug possession convictions and the federal three-strikes mandatory sentencing law, Sherman’s judge couldn’t hand down a sentence...Read More
Alton Mills
Alton was 25 years old when he received a mandatory life-without-parole sentence for conspiracy to traffic crack and powder cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine, and use of a telephone to commit a drug crime. President Obama commuted Alton’s...Read More
Erik Weyant
Threatened in a parking lot by a group of men and fearing a beating or even worse, Erik pulled out his legal handgun and fired shots into the air. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison for aggravated assault...Read More
My Story: Simeon F.
Paul knows he made a mistake, but he never dreamed his small amounts of marijuana would ever lead to such a harsh sentence. UPDATE: Simeon’s son Paul was released to the halfway house on February 7, 2018. Read More
Sara Moore: “A Great Little Kid”
Sara was so far into her drug addiction that nothing mattered. Not friends, family, or work. She sold drugs out of her apartment and was arrested, and because she lived in a school zone, her sentence was much greater than...Read More