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Celebrating 35 Years of Fighting for Justice
Compassion Through Second Chances
Second Chance laws do more than rehabilitate people like Vanessa Rojas. They help people reconnect with their families and rejoin their communities.
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Celebrating 35 Years of Fighting for Justice
Compassion Through Second Chances
Second Chance laws do more than rehabilitate people like Vanessa Rojas. They help people reconnect with their families and rejoin their communities.
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FIGHTING REFORM SINCE 1991
Because of FAMM’s work, more than 500,000 Americans have received shorter, fairer sentences.
FAMM was founded in 1991 by Julie Stewart after her brother received a mandatory five-year sentence for a first offense. The judge called it too harsh — but the law left him no choice.
“Since I found FAMM, hope came into my life.”
— Vanessa Rojas, FAMM community member
FAMM by the Numbers
Founded:
1991
People reached:
200,000+
Sentences shortened:
500,000+
Commutations (2014):
1,700+
Taxpayer savings:
Billions
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OUR MISSION
A more fair and effective justice system — for everyone.
FAMM’s mission is to create a more fair and effective justice system that respects our American values of individual accountability and dignity while keeping our communities safe.
★★★★★
“These men here with me changed my life. I was lost when I came here.”
-Matthew Garcia, currently serving a life sentence at SCI Chester
End Mandatory Minimums
Take Action
Michael Giles is an Air Force veteran serving a mandatory 25-year sentence. Not even the judge could alter it. Together, we can fight for sentencing reform.
or text JOIN to 40419
Two Column Content (FAQs)
COMMON QUESTIONS
Learn about our work
Got a question? We’ve got you covered!
What are mandatory minimums?
Mandatory minimum sentences require judges to impose a fixed minimum prison term regardless of the circumstances of the crime or the individual — no exceptions.
What is a Second Look Law?
Second Look Laws give people who have been incarcerated for a long time the opportunity to go back before a judge and request a reduced sentence, recognizing that people can and do change.
How do I help someone who is incarcerated?
FAMM’s For Families section provides guides, resources, and a community of people who understand what you’re going through. You are not alone.
What is the FAMMgram?
The FAMMgram is our quarterly print newsletter mailed directly to incarcerated individuals so they can stay connected to the movement for justice reform.
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Still have questions?
Our team is here to help families, advocates, and allies.
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OUR FOCUS AREAS
Fighting on every front for justice reform
From sentencing reform to prison oversight, FAMM fights on every front to end unjust sentences and give people a path home.
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Second Chances
We fight for Second Look Laws that give people who have served long sentences the chance to prove they’ve changed and deserve a path home.
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Sentencing Reform
Mandatory minimums strip judges of discretion and lock people into sentences that don’t fit the crime. We’re working state by state to change that.
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Prison Oversight
Staff shortages, poor healthcare, and crumbling infrastructure make prisons unsafe for everyone inside. We’re pushing for real accountability.
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For Families
1 in 2 U.S. adults has had a family member incarcerated. FAMM provides resources, community, and a voice for families navigating the justice system.
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Take Action
From signing petitions to emailing lawmakers, there are many ways to make a difference. Every call, every email, every voice matters.
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Stay Connected
Sign up for the FAMMgram, join a FAMMily Zoom, and stay up to date on the latest criminal justice reform news across the country.
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VICTORY IN THE STATES
State laws drive incarceration. We’re changing them.
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Second Chances
We fight for Second Look Laws that give people who have served long sentences the chance to prove they’ve changed and deserve a path home.
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Sentencing Reform
Mandatory minimums strip judges of discretion and lock people into sentences that don’t fit the crime. We’re working state by state to change that.
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Prison Oversight
Staff shortages, poor healthcare, and crumbling infrastructure make prisons unsafe for everyone inside. We’re pushing for real accountability.
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For Families
1 in 2 U.S. adults has had a family member incarcerated. FAMM provides resources, community, and a voice for families navigating the justice system.
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Take Action
From signing petitions to emailing lawmakers, there are many ways to make a difference. Every call, every email, every voice matters.
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Stay Connected
Sign up for the FAMMgram, join a FAMMily Zoom, and stay up to date on the latest criminal justice reform news across the country.
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Sentencing Reform
We fight mandatory minimums that strip judges of discretion and trap people in sentences that don’t fit the crime — state by state, case by case.
Second Chances
Second Look Laws give people who have served long sentences a chance to show how they’ve grown and earn a path back to their families and communities.
Prison Oversight
Our nation’s prisons are in crisis. We advocate for accountability, transparency, and humane conditions for the people who live and work inside them.
For Families
1 in 2 U.S. adults has had a family member incarcerated. FAMM provides resources, community, and a voice for those navigating the justice system.
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HALF OF US – SHOCKING, BUT TRUE
1 in 2 U.S. Adults Has Had a Family Member Incarcerated
Second Chance laws do more than rehabilitate people like Vanessa Rojas. They help people reconnect with their families and rejoin their communities.
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Share Your Story
FAMM’s greatest asset has always been the stories of its members. Your experience can move a lawmaker who has never seen the human cost of unjust sentencing.
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Contact Your Lawmakers
A direct message from a constituent carries real weight. Use our tools to email or call your state and federal representatives about the issues that matter to you.
3
Joina FAMMily Zoom
Learn powerful ways to include your incarcerated loved one’s voice in policy advocacy and help lawmakers hear directly from the people most affected by injustice.
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MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Contact FAMM at FAMM
FAMM is a nonpartisan advocacy organization. We hire passionate people who believe in the power of storytelling, policy, and community.
FAMM community member
Full Time · Remote
FAMM family member
Full Time · Remote
Policy Research Associate
Full Time · Washington, D.C.
Development Associate
Part Time · Remote
Second Chances
Second Look Laws and compassionate release advocacy
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Sentencing Reform
Ending mandatory minimums, state by state
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Prison Oversight
Accountability and humane conditions for all
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Second Chances
Second Look Laws and compassionate release
Sentencing Reform
Ending mandatory minimums state by state
Prison Oversight
Accountability and humane conditions for all
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Our work by issue area
Explore FAMM’s issue areas to learn where we’re fighting and how you can help.
Second Chances
Second Look Laws
Sentencing Reform
Mandatory Minimums
Prison Oversight
Accountability
For Families
Family Resources
Issues by State
State Campaigns
Policy Library
Research
Annual Report
Accountability
News & Media
Press Room
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Our areas of work
From sentencing reform to prison oversight, FAMM fights on every front to end unjust sentences and give people a path home.
Second Chances
Sentencing Reform
Prison Oversight
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500,000+
Americans have received shorter, fairer prison sentences because of FAMM’s advocacy over 35 years.
200,000+
People reached through FAMM advocacy campaigns — families, incarcerated individuals, and allies.
Since 1989
Black prison population reduced to its lowest level since 1989 through FAMM’s work on racial disparities in sentencing.
Billions Saved
Saved in incarceration costs by reducing the nation’s prison population through smarter sentencing policy.
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35
Years of Impact
Fighting mandatory minimums and unjust sentencing since 1991.
35
States
We work across all 50 states to push for real, lasting reform.
35
U.S. Adults
Have had a family member incarcerated — this is everyone’s issue.
Contact Details
GET IN TOUCH
You’re the best advocate your loved one has.
Join our next FAMMily Zoom to learn proven ways to include your incarcerated loved one’s voice in policy advocacy and help lawmakers hear directly from impacted people.
★★★★★
“Since I found FAMM, hope came into my life.”
-Joined by hundreds of thousands fighting for justice
Contact FAMM
ADDRESS
1100 13th Street NW, Suite 201, Washington, D.C. 20005
PHONE
(202) 822-6700
ADDRESS
Text JOIN to 40419 to stay connected
Single Testimonial
“Since I found FAMM, hope came into my life. Second Chance laws do more than rehabilitate — they help us reconnect with our families.”
Vanessa Rojas
FAMM community member
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OUR LEADERSHIP
A small but mighty leadership team
FAMM is a nonpartisan nonprofit with a small and mighty team dedicated to criminal justice reform across all 50 states.
Shawnna D. McNamara, Ph.D.
FAMM community member
Mary Price
FAMM community member
Vanessa Rojas
FAMM community member
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“These men here with me changed my life. I was lost when I came here. I felt like I had nothing and no one to guide me.”
Vanessa Rojas
FAMM community member
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FAMM advocates for second chances through:
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REPORTS & RESOURCES
Learn More About Compassionate Release
Everywhere and Nowhere: Compassionate Release in the States
“Everywhere and Nowhere: Compassionate Release in the States,” is a comprehensive, state-by-state report on the early-release programs available to prisoners struggling with certain extraordinary circumstances, such as a terminal or age-related illness. The report takes a deep dive into the regulations and requirements of these programs in each state, including the varying categories of release, eligibility criteria, and reporting. The analysis also reveals a troubling number of barriers faced by prisoners and their families when applying for early release.
Grading the States: The State Compassionate Release Report Card Project
With “Grading the States: the State Compassionate Release Report Card Project,” FAMM issues a report card for every state compassionate release program in the nation. FAMM graded the programs on elements we consider essential to ensuring that the programs benefit those who need them: medically vulnerable, aging, and terminally ill incarcerated people whose continued imprisonment no longer serves the interests of justice. In addition to the full report, you can see how all of the states were graded on this full map.
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SECOND LOOK LAWS
People change. Their sentences should, too.
Second look laws allow decision-makers such as courts or parole boards to reevaluate a person’s sentence after a sufficient period of time served in prison and determine if that sentence is still necessary. We support second look laws because people change over time, and imprisoning people long past the point of necessity makes no one safer.
You can view existing second look laws here.
Support Second Look Laws in your state. Urge your lawmakers to give people who have served long sentences a chance to come home.
Stories Grid
Kerry’s Story: Father & Friend
Kerry Weyant’s son Erik was living the nightmare that is Florida’s 10-20-Life mandatory minimum. Erik was sentenced to 20 years for firing a gun into the air to ward off attackers, even though no one was hurt.
Michael Giles: No Ordinary Defendant
Michael is a veteran serving a mandatory 25-year sentence under Florida’s 10-20-Life law after he fired two shots in self-defense, shots that did not seriously injure his attacker.
Seriously Ill and Locked Up for Stealing 6 DVDs
Too many people in Florida are serving long prison terms that don’t make communities safer. There are plenty of people locked up like Stephan Stuckey, who do not pose a risk to public safety yet languish in prison for decades, some of them seriously ill.
“A Good Man!” When Sentencing Enhancements Add 45 Years
“My roots weren’t strong, and when the storms of life came, I couldn’t hold on,” says Charles Scott, currently serving more than 51 years in federal prison – 45 of which are “stacked” mandatory enhancements.
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Second Chances
Too many people are in prison for too long — with virtually no way to get a second chance. It’s time our sentencing laws recognize people’s capacity to change and their readiness to come home. We need as many methods as possible to give people an opportunity to be considered for a second chance, reunite families, and heal communities.
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TESTIMONIALS
Extreme sentences. Real people.
Customer happiness is at the core of our business model. If our customers aren’t succeeding, we’re not succeeding. See what they’re saying below.
“Since I found FAMM, hope came into my life. Second Chance laws do more than rehabilitate — they help us reconnect with our families and rejoin our communities.”
Vanessa Rojas
FAMM community member
“I was a hopeless addict, is kind of how I saw myself. Just never give up hope on somebody. People change. They really do.”
Anthony Jones
Family member, Texas
Michael Giles is an Air Force veteran serving a mandatory 25-year sentence. Not even the judge could alter it. Together, we can fight for sentencing reform.
Michael Giles
Air Force veteran
“Within the age of 20 and 21 years old, I was forced into a terrible decision.” Jamari DeLeon is one of hundreds of thousands whose sentences don’t reflect who they are today.
Jamari DeLeon
FAMM advocate, Ohio
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Coalition partners and supporters
Accordion
Urge your lawmakers to improve your state’s compassionate release laws so that incarcerated elderly and seriously ill people can return home with dignity.
Urge your lawmakers to improve your state’s compassionate release laws so that incarcerated elderly and seriously ill people can return home with dignity.
Urge your lawmakers to improve your state’s compassionate release laws so that incarcerated elderly and seriously ill people can return home with dignity.
Testimonials (multiple)
Testimonials
1 in 2 U.S. adults has had a family member incarcerated.Only together can we create a more fair and effective justice system.
★★★★★
“Since I found FAMM, hope came into my life.”
Joined by hundreds of thousands fighting for justice
“These men here with me changed my life. I was lost when I came here. I felt like I had nothing and no one to guide me.” — Matthew Garcia, SCI Chester
Denise W., FAMM advocate
“The last time I wore a tie was in a courtroom. That was 40 years ago.” Anthony Jones has been incarcerated since his twenties. A Second Look Law could bring him home.
Vanessa Rojas
Testimonials (multiple)
Testimonials
The FAMMily is speaking out
Customer happiness as at the core of our business model. If our customers aren’t succeeding, we’re not succeeding. See what they’re saying below.
Via Twitter →
“I was a hopeless addict, is kind of how I saw myself. Just never give up hope on somebody. People change. They really do.” — Vanessa Rojas, FAMM community member
Vanessa Rojas
FAMM family member
Via Facebook →
Michael Giles is an Air Force veteran serving a mandatory 25-year sentence. Not even the judge could alter it. Together, we can fight for sentencing reform.
Denise W., FAMM advocate
FAMM advocate
Text & Image Columns
TAKE ACTION
Every call, every email, every voice matters
FAMM was founded in 1991 by Julie Stewart after her brother received a mandatory five-year sentence for a first offense. The judge called it too harsh — but the law left him no choice.
✴
FAMM’s advocacy tools are free and easy to use. Email your representatives, sign petitions, and track legislation in your state.
✴
Join a FAMMily Zoom to learn how to effectively advocate for your loved one and connect with others who understand your experience.
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Change Can’t Wait
Change can’t happen without you. Design websites faster with patterns.
From signing petitions to emailing lawmakers, every action matters.
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Change can’t happen without you.
From signing petitions to emailing lawmakers, there are many ways to make a difference for the people and families who need it most.
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Latest and Greatest
Read our latest blog articles
Learn the latest and greatest in WordPress site building. We’re offering tutorials, tips and tricks, and video walkthroughs on our blog.
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2025 Annual Report
Dr. Shaneva D. McReynolds President, FAMM A Letter from Our President Dear Friends, In many ways, 2025 was about naming hard truths clearly while deepening our commitment to the people most impacted by them. Across the country, we saw unmistakable signs of strain and failure in our systems: At the same time, our work felt more…