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...
Success Story: Elizabeth Melson
Elizabeth was a shy child and adolescent who struggled with self-esteem issues from an early age. Problems for Elizabeth became even worse during her teens, around the time of her parents’ separation and divorce.Read More
Adam Kubinski’s Story: “A Real-Life Snowball”
Adam’s father Kenny is serving life for drug charges. He’s been behind bars for 24 years now, and Adam and his sisters bear the deep scars of their dad’s unfair punishment.Read More
Michelle Taylor
As a child, Michelle was removed from her mother’s care and placed in foster homes due to sexual and physical abuse. Michelle used alcohol as an adult to cope with the pain and shame from her past. But Judge Memeo could...Read More
Robert Shipp: The World Gave Up on Him. He Proved Them Wrong
“It feels like the world has given up on you. That you are just some throwaway, someone who is irredeemable.” That’s how Robert Shipp describes being sentenced to life in prison for a drug crime in 1994. UPDATE: Robert was...Read More
Reentry Story: “Relentless Self-Advocacy”
“I enrolled at Portland State University eight days after my release. I have since earned 24 credits, with a 4.0 GPA, earning me the commendation of placement on the President’s List.” Read More
Amber Carlson: Mother Gets 10 Years
Deep in addiction and mental illness and trying to scrape together enough money for gifts for her kids one Christmas Eve, Amber Carlson agreed to transport methamphetamine for a drug dealer. She had no prior felony convictions, but she got...Read More
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 fierce passion for self-improvement and education that drives Chris now, even as he is doomed...Read More
Success on the Inside: Michael Monsivais
In prison, Michael Angel Monsivais saw a huge need. And instead of waiting for someone else to fill that need—the warden, the BOP, the government—he took matters into his own hands. UPDATE: Michael was released to the halfway house on...Read More