Forgotten Majority

Advocating for the just and humane treatment of those who are incarcerated.

Category: Congressional efforts

  • THE SLOW AND WELCOME DEATH OF MANDATORY MINIMUMS

    Yesterday was an historic day for the sentencing reform movement in Florida. For the first time in more than 20 years Florida repealed a mandatory minimum sentence! As most of you know, we have worked for years to reform Florida’s 10-20-Life gun sentencing law, which has created some of the worst injustices I’ve seen. After […]

  • UNCONSCIONABLE IN AMERICA

    November 4, 2015 Bernie Sanders via Daily Kos Today in America, shamefully, we have more people in jail than any other country on earth. The United States is home to 4.4 percent of the world’s population, and 22 percent of its prisoners.  A big reason for this is because companies that profit from prisons have […]

  • INTRODUCING THE SENTENCING REFORM AND CORRECTIONS ACT OF 2015

    Molly Gill, Govt Affairs Counsel FAMM 1100 H Street NW  Suite 1000 Washington DC, 20005 (202) 822-6700 FAMILIES AGAINST MANDATORY MINIMUMS SENTENCING REFORM AND CORRECTIONS ACT OF 2015 UPDATE: Senate Judiciary bill summary as well as a section by section factsheet. Full text of bill available here: Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act Summary: The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 is a […]

  • OVERSIGHT COMMISSION FOR FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

    Senate Bill 7020, submitted by Senator Greg Evers,  which appoints a Florida Corrections Commission to investigate abuses within the prisons, passed unanimously on 3/18/15. Featured Article Courtesy of Mary Ellen Klaus,  Bradenton Herald,  3/19/15 TALLAHASSEE — The Florida Senate on Wednesday put money behind its pledge to reform the state’s troubled prison system, voting to […]

  • FLORIDA Lawmakers To Consider Expunging Juvenile Records HB 205

    February 27, 2015 8:19 PM Courtesy CBS Miami TALLAHASSEE (NSF) – As Florida’s legislative session gets underway next week, some lawmakers are calling for measures to help teens move on after paying their dues in the juvenile-justice system. Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, joined children’s advocates on Thursday in Jacksonville, saying he would support efforts […]

  • Marissa Alexander’s Sentence Could Triple in ‘Warning-Shot’ Case.

    Posted: March 1, 2014   The Times-Union By Larry Hannan  (904) 359-4470 Larry.hannan@jacksonville.com BOB MACK/The Times-Union The second trial for Marissa Alexander (center) is scheduled to begin July 28. A Jacksonville woman whose case generated outrage when she was sentenced to 20 years in prison may end up behind bars for 60 years for the same […]

  • DROP THE MARISSA ALEXANDER CASE

                                                    Marissa Alexander is a survivor of domestic violence from Jacksonville, FL who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for defending herself from violence. National action:  Urge the State to Drop […]

  • DREAM DEFENDERS – P. S. IT AIN’T OVER

      Friends, After 31 days and 30 nights in the Florida State Capitol, the Dream Defenders ended our peaceful sit-in of Governor Rick Scott’s office. Although we have left the Capitol, we are not leaving the fight. We came to the Capitol more than a month ago to demand that Florida’s political leadership deal with […]

  • IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME COMING

    Eric Holder 82nd Atty Gen From FAMILIES AGAINST MANDATORY MINIMUMS Today was a historic day in our fight for smarter sentencing laws! For the first time in the 20+ years I have been at this, the U.S. Department of Justice has admitted our arguments are right and that eliminating some mandatory minimums will make us safer. […]