Dear friend,

I hope your new year is off to a good start. After a quick break over the holiday, we're back in full swing and ready to fight for much-needed criminal justice reform.

We have a full agenda ahead for 2023, including:

• Urging Congress (and a handful of states) to end the racist crack-powder sentencing disparity; promoting second look laws; eliminating mandatory minimums; and preventing states from enacting new mandatory sentences.
• Pushing the U.S. Sentencing Commission to expand compassionate release and lobbying more states to broaden their medical and geriatric release programs.
• Continuing to push for independent oversight of all federal and state prisons to better ensure humane treatment for incarcerated individuals.
• Continue our #VisitAPrison campaign and “Free to Succeed” storytelling initiative to increase awareness about who is serving lengthy, unjust prison sentences, and why we need to give more people second chances.

We also plan to identify, empower, and mobilize affected families so that it is easier for them to have their voices heard by policymakers.

That's where we'll need you, everyone. I hope you'll continue to support us and advocate with us into 2023 and beyond. Be on the lookout for ways you can participate in advocacy days, call-in campaigns, signing letters or petitions, and similar activities. Lawmakers need to know that their constituents care about justice reform—and are willing to hold their elected representatives accountable for failing to act.

We have a lot of work coming up! I’m not worried, though—I'm ready to fight. Can I count on you to fight with us, friends?

Best,

Kevin Ring
President, FAMM