National Advocacy Group FAMM Offering Content on Alabama Prison Tablets

By Eddie Burkhalter, Appleseed Researcher

In the coming weeks incarcerated people in Alabama will be able to access valuable information on their electronic tablets from a national nonprofit that advocates for sentencing and prison reform. 

FAMM (Families Against Mandatory Minimums) announced this week that the organization’s information will soon be available and free to use on Edovo tablets, which are in use in prisons across Alabama and in many other states. 

“We look forward to providing a variety of educational and motivational materials to institutions nationwide. Our offerings will range from extensive information about clemency, compassionate release, and sentencing reform to training on how to advocate from behind bars,” Kelly Haynes, Engagement Programs Associate for FAMM, told Appleseed.

Among the information FAMM will make available on those tablets for incarcerated people are step-by-step guides to creating their own advocacy stories and details on how to connect with lawmakers, videos about applying for sentencing relief, and audio/video/written stories of hope and inspiration from formerly incarcerated people and family members, Haynes said. News about upcoming reform legislation will also be included. 

“We will also feature our quarterly FAMMgram newsletters, so incarcerated people will receive timely news about what’s happening in the criminal justice system and how FAMM is working for reform. FAMM on Edovo will be an invaluable tool for people in prison,” Haynes said. 

FAMM supported Alabama Appleseed’s prison oversight bill, SB 316, which after many discussions with legislators and state departments involved, resulted in an agreement that led to Alabama’s first ever state-led prison oversight pilot program. The program covers Tutwiler and two to three men’s prisons, and will be headed by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts who will carry out most of the monitoring responsibilities laid out for them in SB 316.

Family members of incarcerated people in Alabama are encouraged to ask their loved ones to search for FAMM content on their devices. FAMM will submit the first section of content this well, and it could take a couple of weeks for the review process to conclude and the information be made available on the devices.