Families Against Mandatory Minimums is the national voice for fair and proportionate sentencing laws. We shine a light on the human face of sentencing, advocate for state and federal sentencing reform, and mobilize thousands of individuals and families whose lives are adversely affected by unjust sentences. 
   
Our Vision
FAMM's vision is a nation in which sentencing is individualized, humane, and sufficient but not greater than necessary to impose just punishment, secure public safety, and support successful rehabilitation and reentry.

FAMM's 12,000 members include prisoners and their families, attorneys, judges, criminal justice experts and concerned citizens.

About FAMM

FAMM was founded in 1991 by Julie Stewart, after the issue affected her personally.  Her brother, a nonviolent, first-time drug offender was sentenced to five years in a federal prison for growing marijuana.  Julie had never heard of mandatory minimum sentencing laws but soon learned that they were the reason the judge was forced to hand down a mandatory five-year sentence.  Outraged that the judge no longer had the discretion to make the punishment fit the crime, Julie started FAMM to promote fairer sentencing laws. Read more 

Legal disclaimer

FAMM is not a legal services provider.  Due to our limited resources, FAMM’s intervention in litigation is limited to a very small number of appellate cases that challenge the interpretation of particular sentencing laws in the federal courts and the United States Supreme Court.  We participate in litigation only by filing amicus (“friend of the court”) briefs on specific sentencing issues.  Other prison and criminal law issues are beyond the scope of our mission, even though they are undoubtedly important.

Therefore, FAMM cannot
1. Provide you with legal representation,
2. Give you legal advice or answer any legal questions regarding specific aspects of your case or your loved one’s case,
3. Assist you with your appeal or post-conviction petitions,
4. Help you file claims against the Department of Corrections or Bureau of Prisons, or
5. Recommend other attorneys to you for any of these purposes.

Nothing on this website is intended to be legal advice or should be relied on as legal advice. If you need legal help, contact a lawyer or the State Bar Association in your local area.