Oregonians Against Measure 11

Congress has left Washington and won’t return to work until after the elections. That means that no federal bills or reforms will be introduced or passed until after the elections on November 6. It also means that, until then, FAMM can’t sit down face-to-face with federal lawmakers and tell them why mandatory sentencing laws must be changed in 2013.

But you can.

Now is the perfect time for you and your loved ones to meet with your representatives in Congress and ask them to support sentencing reform. There are two ways to help while your Members of Congress are at home, in a city near you:

1. Meet with them! Find your Representative and Senators in our Action Center. Then, call or write the office in your area and request a meeting. (Our Citizen Action Kit can help). Ask your representatives to oppose new mandatory minimum sentences and support reforms in the next Congress. Use these helpful tips to have a great meeting.

2. Go to a town hall meeting or campaign event! Many seats in Congress will be decided in the November elections. Current members of Congress and those who are challenging them may be having town hall meetings or campaign events. At these events, ask the candidates how they feel about mandatory minimum sentencing laws. What do they plan to do to ensure that punishments fit the crime and the individual? How will they fix overcrowding in federal prisons and reduce the high costs of long sentences for nonviolent offenders? For pointers, read our factsheet on going to a town hall meeting.

We may be in Washington, but until November 6, your home districts are where the power is. Help FAMM by meeting with your congressional representatives and attending town hall meetings and campaign events. Afterwards, call (202) 822-6700 or send me an email at mgill@famm.org to let me know how it went!

Thank you for all you do for FAMM and fairer sentencing laws!

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