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.
La historia de Claire: La Defensa Empieza Pequeña, Luego Florece
Me llamo Claire Tate. Soy la vicepresidente de una organización sin fines lucrativos de justicia criminal en Arizona llamada S.T.A.R.T. Project (Striving to Achieve Reform Together — Luchando Por Alcanzar la Reforma Juntos), uno de los socios de FAMM. Estamos...Read More
In the Eyes of the Law, First-time Offender Is a Trafficker
William Wilder is no kingpin. In fact, he did not even sell drugs. In 2018, he bought 14.3 grams of methamphetamine from a confidential informant. And now he’s in prison for a first-degree felony for trafficking. There is a very,...Read More
Compassionate Release Clearinghouse: Margarita Zamora
“I had a rough childhood,” says Margarita Zamora. “My father never wanted nothing to do with me. When he found out my mom was pregnant with me, he left her because he was a married man. My mom was always...Read More
Compassionate Release Clearinghouse: Lea Anne Blystone
Lea Anne Blystone was sentenced to seven years in federal prison. She wasn’t sentenced to die. But when COVID hit her prison, her medical conditions made her especially vulnerable to the potentially fatal disease. Here, she describes her journey from...Read More
Gerald Tarboro: A Story of Second Chances
My story is about two second chances. The first is mine – I got one. I spent 11 years in prison, and I was released a little early because of the First Step Act. The other one I want to...Read More
Compassionate Release Clearinghouse: Ernest Boykin
Ernest Boykin was 41, not halfway through a 15-year sentence in federal prison, and COVID had been hitting prisons hard for months. He had underlying medical conditions that put him at high risk if he contracted the disease, and on...Read More
Jomari DeLeon: Bajo presión, eligió una decisión terrible
Jomari DeLeon hizo dos ventas de drogas durante el curso de 24 horas, ganando menos que $200. ¿Una reina de droga? De ninguna forma. No obstante, siendo su primer delito fue condenada a 15 años. Ni siquiera el juez quería...Read More
Clearinghouse para Liberación Compasiva: Damiene Lewis
El 24 de abril, 2020, Damiene Lewis recibió la liberación compasiva y se le envió a su casa. “Eso es una gran bendición,” él dice ahora, desde la casa de su madre en Baton Rouge. Su liberación fue un proceso...Read More
Success on the Inside: “To Be the Men We Were Taught to Be”
When he was 12 years old, Lee Horton needed help. It was 1977, and he’d just moved to town when he was jumped by a group of boys looking to pick on the new kid. Help arrived in the form...Read More