We build community and power by supporting each other
The central work of FSN is building relationships and community among those of us with a strong personal stake in bringing home people serving life or long sentences, with a central focus on racial justice and Black women, and embedding this community in the advocacy landscape.
our Story
The Family Support Network (FSN) was formally founded in February 2018 by Martina Hazelton and Sonia Kumar, following two years of discussion and planning, to support Black family members of people serving life sentences in Maryland prisons.
We were driven to establish the network after seeing the gaping hole for family members trying to support loved ones and a lack of acknowledgment of our humanity and labor, access to information or support. Close to 80% of people serving extreme sentences in Maryland are Black.
In 2020, FSN was awarded its first grant and became fiscally sponsored as a partner under Fusion Partnerships.
We're here to break Down Barriers and Build a stronger community by supporting Black people Experiencing the Crisis of Extreme Sentences.
We blend emotional support and solidarity with a strong advocacy network to assist Black people, usually women, whose loved ones are incarcerated and who have reached out for help.
Martina Hazelton
Co-Founder/Executive Director
Martina Hazelton is currently residing in Washington, D.C. and is a native Washingtonian. Martina is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Family Support Network and by professional training has 25+ years of Federal Service as an Executive Financial Manager. Martina had a loved one serving in Maryland prisons for over 28 years whom she actively supported. Her support was pivotal to his release in November 2021. Martina is a staunch advocate for criminal justice reform and champions many initiatives to bring about positive change for those behind the wall and returning citizens. Martina holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with cum laude honors from the University of the District of Columbia.
Sonia Kumar
Co-Founder
Sonia is a Baltimore resident. She helped Martina Hazelton found the Lifer Family Support Network after seeing the many ways family members support and advocate for their loved ones serving life sentences. For the last decade, Sonia has had the privilege of working closely with people serving life sentences in their efforts to obtain their freedom and people who want to build a system of justice that brings more healing and closure to all. She is a Senior Staff Attorney at the ACLU of Maryland and deeply committed to change that shifts power, racial justice, and building true partnerships between people resisting oppression to make change and supporters who have access to resources. She is now an advisory board member for FSN.
Carolyn Hicks-Watkins
Advisory Board Member
Carolyn Hicks-Watkins is a member of the Lifer Family Support Network. She has worked 11 years in Baltimore City Government and another 10 years in Maryland State Government. Carolyn is married to Ransom L. Watkins an exoneree of the Maryland Correctional System. Ransom was sent to prison as a child and incarcerated 36 years for a crime he did not commit. Carolyn has seen first-hand the atrocities that occur within a correctional institution and is hoping that working with the Lifer Family Support Network can lead to a change behind the walls.
Amanda Collier
Advisory Board Member
Amanda Collier is an Active (FSN) Family Support Network Advisory Board Member. Amanda has been an active member within the Family Support Network Group for 3 plus years. She is very passionate and committed to helping close gaps in everyday society that need more resources, growth, help and justice not only in our community but nationwide. Amanda is a strong advocate for criminal justice reform and is working hard and committed to bring about positive changes for those currently incarcerated and returning citizens. She currently has a loved one serving in the Maryland Correctional Intuition as a Juvenile lifer.
Mica Nyree McNair
Advisory Board Member
Mica Nyree McNair is a native of Maryland, and has been an active member of the Family Support Network (FSN) for several years and is a member of the Advisory Board. She serves in a Leadership role with the federal government, where she has worked for two decades. She is the loving spouse of her childhood sweetheart who is a juvenile lifer that has been incarcerated for over 29 years. She has witnessed firsthand the strenuous and unpredictable circumstances state prisons can cause mentally and physically. As such, she has made it her mission to help other families that are in similar positions and also advocate for those incarcerated who do not have family support or a voice.
Tiffany Williams
Advisory Board Member
Tiffany Williams was born and raised in Maryland. She is an active member of the Lifer Family Support Network. She has over 20+ years in the retail industry with excellent customer service skills. She has a loved one who is currently serving in a Maryland Correctional Institution. Tiffany will continue to be an advocate for others. She is a strong advocate for change and assisting the incarcerated to support them when they return to the community.
Autumn Woodland
Advisory Board Member
Autumn Woodland is an advisory board member of Lifer Family Support Network. Autumn is passionate about criminal justice reform; a passion that was sparked by the 37-year incarceration of a loved one. Autumn is a graduate of Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University earning a B.S. in business administration; and a graduate of the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University earning a JD . Autumn is also a visual artist and works as a compliance professional.