Ask Your Lawmaker to Visit a Prison -FAMM Organization Challenge
Constituents challenge policymakers to visit prisons in aiding informed legislation
Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) is an organization dedicated to creating a more fair and effective justice system that respects our American values of individual accountability and dignity while keeping our communities safe. FAMM and other criminal justice reform advocacy organizations are working to get as many lawmakers to go inside and talk with people incarcerated in prisons and their families under the premise that you can't effectively create criminal justice legislation if you've never visited a prison.
Our state and federal prisons are housing too many people who have earned a second chance. Prison conditions are the worst they have ever been. Lawmakers have the power to improve things, but lawmakers don’t know if they don’t go. The FAMM "Ask Your Lawmaker to Visit a Prison Challenge" empowers constituents to contact their state and federal lawmakers to encourage them to visit a prison and learn about the problems in our prisons and the people inside who are ready for a second chance.
Here's how you can participate in the Challenge:
- Find your state and local legislators at OpenStates.
- Write a letter OR send an email. Use these tips:
A. Introduce yourself with your name, where you live and what your (or loved ones) sentence is.
B. Make a clear ask and invite your law maker to tour your facility and to meet with you (or loved one) specifically. C. Share why it is important to you to have them come and meet you.
D. Share a brief story of yourself without too much detail, leaving them curious without telling your whole story.
3. Send the letter to your lawmaker using contact information from the tool from step 1.
4. If you hear back, let FAMM know at Emailvisitaprison@famm.org to let them know your lawmaker is coming to visit you (or your loved one) as part of the Visit A Prison Campaign.
To learn more and read more about the campaign, check out the Ask Your Lawmaker to Visit a Prison page at the FAMM website.
