FAMM Calls on President Trump, All 50 Governers to Leverage Clemency Powers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, FAMM sent letters to the Office of the President and every governor in the United States, calling on them to expand the use of clemency. FAMM called on recipients to use their executive powers to recognize meaningful rehabilitation, correct overly harsh sentences, and address situations where continued incarceration no longer serves justice or public safety.

“Today, FAMM asks our highest elected leaders, including President Donald J. Trump and every Governor in the nation, to use their clemency powers robustly,” said Dr. Shaneva D. McReynolds, FAMM’s President. “Grant commutations to our loved ones who have done the hard work of transformation behind prison walls. We remind our leaders, in this season of redemption, that mercy is a sign of strength, not weakness. As a crime survivor and impacted wife and mother, I stand today on behalf of tens of thousands of families who are deserving of consideration and grace.”

These letters come both as the nation celebrates Second Chance Month and prepares for a midterm election year when an unusually high number of governors, 18, are not running for re-election. Outgoing executives are more likely to utilize their clemency powers more substantively, as evidenced when President Biden provided clemency to a record 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses in his final days in office.

“One of the great privileges of being elected President or Governor is using the tools available to help every citizen through signing legislation or taking executive action,” said Matthew Charles, FAMM’s State Legislative Affairs Manager, who was one of the first beneficiaries of the First Step Act in 2018 and President Trump’s guest at the State of the Union. “Perhaps the greatest of these is being able to grant clemency; an act of mercy, grace, or compassion to even the least of these. Therefore, I humbly ask that you would.”

Clemency has a bipartisan track record. In their letters, FAMM pointed to actions members of both parties have taken — such as Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) commuting outdated, harsh sentences for 462 people that were no longer consistent with state law and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy leveraging clemency to cut the state’s prison population in half over the past 15 years — as evidence that clemency is an act of redemption and fairness, rather than a reward for extraordinary cases of rehabilitation. 

FAMM also specifically called on the federal use of clemency for individuals who have “old law” convictions (sentenced before the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984), and separately those who are serving more time than they would if sentenced today under the First Step Act, in which President Trump reduced the crack powder sentencing disparity under which Matthew Charles was released. FAMM argues that providing clemency is key to help the justice system remain responsive, humane, and grounded in the values it seeks to uphold.

You can view the full text of the federal letter to President Trump here and the letter to state governors here.

About FAMM

Since FAMM’s founding in 1991, it has helped more than 500,000 Americans receive shorter, fairer prison sentences. FAMM and its advocates have also helped reduce the nation’s prison population by approximately 200,000 people and reduce racial disparities in sentencing. 

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. This mission not only reduces unnecessary suffering for incarcerated people, but also for their family members who have to serve the sentence along with their incarcerated loved one. 

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