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Dear John,
Legislation authorizing judges to review sentences after a person has served a lengthy period of time has been referred to as a second-look law. Today, The Sentencing Project released a new report, “ The Second Look Movement: A Review of the Nation’s Sentence Review Laws [[link removed]] ,” highlighting the evolution and growing momentum of the second look movement around the country. Findings from the report include:
*
Legislatures
in
12
states,
the
District
of
Columbia,
and
the
federal
government
have
enacted
“second
look”
judicial
review
laws.
*
Courts
in
at
least
15
states
have
determined
that
lengthy
sentences,
beyond
life
without
parole,
are
unconstitutional
for
youth.
*
Three
states
have
restricted
life-without-parole
sentences
for
emerging
adults.
The report provides recommendations to improve consistency and clarity in second look legislation.
Research has clearly established that lengthy sentences do not have a significant deterrent effect on crime and divert resources from effective public safety programs. Nevertheless, existing parole systems are ineffective at curtailing excessive sentences in most states due to their highly discretionary nature, lack of due process and oversight, and lack of objective consideration standards. As a result, we’ve seen legislators consider and adopt second look legislation as a more effective means to reconsider an incarcerated person’s sentence in order to assess their fitness to reenter society. While much work remains, we’re thrilled to see this momentum across the country.
Second Look Movement Report [[link removed]]
In response to the evolving second look movement, The Sentencing Project launched the Second Look Network in March 2023. The Network is composed of over 250 members representing 100 organizations, public defender offices, and law school clinics across the U.S. that provide direct legal representation to persons serving extreme sentences. Click to learn more [[link removed]] .
[[link removed]] Becky Feldman
Second Look Network Director
Email: [email protected]
As a nonprofit organization, The Sentencing Project relies on the generosity of our community to power our work. The research, advocacy, and public education we contribute to the movement to end mass incarceration are only possible with your support. Every dollar makes a difference.
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