Second Chances Resource Library

FAMM’s Compassionate Release Report Cards look at how well states provide compassionate release to medically vulnerable, aging, and terminally ill incarcerated people. They grade each state program on key measures such as eligibility criteria, procedures, release planning, and data collection/public reporting. This infographic shows the overall grade for each state. Unfortunately, the majority of states flunk compassionate release.

This national survey of 1000 registered voters was conducted online October 6–10, 2022. It found that 70% of Americans, across political lines, support compassionate release programs. The poll results provide more detail about this and other related findings.

FAMM’s Compassionate Release Report Cards grade state’s compassionate release mechanisms in seven performance categories. Unfortunately, the majority of states’ programs flunk compassionate release. Those that do not, nonetheless, could stand significant improvement in one or more of the areas we evaluated.

Knowing what doesn’t work is the first step to fixing underperforming programs. The report card project’s aim is to identify barriers to the success of well-intentioned programs that don’t work as intended. We offer this toolkit to lawmakers, advocates, and stakeholders interested in refurbishing the broken programs in their state. We hope that the ideas here will generate improvements in the reach, accessibility, design, and transparency of their state compassionate release programs.

With “Grading the States: the State Compassionate Release Report Card Project,” FAMM issues a report card for every state compassionate release program in the nation. FAMM graded the programs on elements we consider essential to ensuring that the programs benefit those who need them: medically vulnerable, aging, and terminally ill incarcerated people whose continued imprisonment no longer serves the interests of justice.

Knowing that a program fails to live up to its promise is the first step to improvement, but knowing how and why it fails is the essential next step. Our report cards aim to provide that information. We did not grade on a curve. Still, we were surprised to find that the majority of states flunk compassionate release. We offer the report cards not to shame failing states but to help concerned stakeholders understand the practical barriers to compassionate release. We hope these report cards spur people to ask and answer the questions that will trigger reform.

FAMM’s Compassionate Release Report Cards look at how well states provide compassionate release to medically vulnerable, aging, and terminally ill incarcerated people. They grade each state program on key measures such as eligibility criteria, procedures, release planning, and data collection/public reporting. Florida’s two compassionate release programs, “Conditional Medical Release” and “Medical Furlough” both received grades of F, and Florida’s overall grade is also F.

This is a statement from the sponsors of a New Mexico bill, SB43, which would to ban life without parole for juveniles and create early parole for those serving long adult sentences for crimes committed as children.

A fact sheet that presents a New Mexico bill that would end life without parole for children and provide youth sentenced as adults a second chance.

This is a letter written by George Davis, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, in support of a New Mexico bill to ban life without parole for juveniles and create early parole for those serving long adult sentences for crimes committed as children.

This is a letter written by New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies in support of a New Mexico bill that would ban life without parole for juveniles and create early parole for those serving long adult sentences for crimes committed as children.

This statement was written by survivors and family members of youth violence in support of a New Mexico bill to ban life without parole for juveniles and create early parole for those serving long adult sentences for crimes committed as children.