JUSTICE THAT WORKS

famm.org

In 1990, Julie Stewart received an unforgettable call:  her brother had been arrested for growing marijuana in Washington state. Though he was guilty of filling his garage with marijuana seedlings and had to face the consequences for breaking the law, no one in Julie’s family expected her brother to get the sentence he received:  five years in federal prison.  The judge criticized the punishment as too harsh for a first-time offender, but he had no choice – laws passed by Congress in 1986 required the excessive prison term.  The two co-defendants who had turned in Julie’s brother received probation as a reward for their cooperation with the government.

In response to her brother’s sentence, Julie founded Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM), a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to repeal mandatory minimum sentences and restore a system of individualized justice.  Since 1991, FAMM has become the national voice for reforming mandatory minimum sentencing policies.  FAMM fights for laws that give courts the ability to tailor sentences to fit the crime as well as the individual.

At the federal level, mandatory minimum sentences were created in 1986, then expanded in 1988.  Virtually every state also has mandatory minimum sentences.  At both the state and federal level, these one-size-fits-all sentences most often apply to drug and gun offenses.  It takes only one or two factors – a certain type and weight of drugs, or the presence of a gun – to trigger a mandatory penalty.  There are few ways out of a mandatory minimum once it is triggered.  Since their creation, an increasing number of judges, criminal justice experts, lawmakers, and prisoners and their families have condemned mandatory minimums and the injustices they inevitably produce.

In 1994, FAMM successfully lobbied for an exception to mandatory minimums for low-level, nonviolent federal drug offenders who met particular criteria.  This exception, commonly known as the “safety valve,” has increased judicial discretion and spared over 60,000 people from mandatory minimum sentences.

In 1998, FAMM spearheaded the effort to change Michigan’s “650 lifer law,” which required life sentences for anyone in possession of 650 or more grams of cocaine or heroin. In 2003, FAMM led the way in reforming the rest of Michigan’s draconian drug laws.  FAMM also has ongoing reform projects in Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Florida.

Visit the FAMM website to learn more about its current endeavors and upcoming events. FAMM is a 501(c)(3) organization, and all donations are tax deductible.  There are a variety of ways to donate – including estate planning and corporate matching – to help in the fight for a more just sentencing system.