senior official said there will be ` zero chance ' that family of american held hostages overseas will face jail or prosecution for trying to free loved ones .
a national counterterrorism center advisory group is set to recommend the move which would mark radical shift in us hostage policy .
family of us contractor warren weinstein , who was taken by al-qaeda in pakistan in 2011 , paid a $ 250,000 ransom to try and secure his release .
journalist james foley 's mother said obama administration told her it was illegal to raise a ransom to free her son .
james foley was beheaded in august 2014 by islamic state fighters .