Rethinking Long Sentences: The Second Look Movement

Across the country, there’s growing recognition that extreme prison sentences don’t make us safer. Over the last decade, momentum has been building for Second Look policies, which allow courts to reconsider lengthy sentences,  giving people the opportunity to return home, reunite with their families, and contribute to their communities.

Under Maryland’s newly enacted Second Look Act (effective October 1, 2025), eligible individuals—typically those sentenced before age 25 and who have served at least 20 years—can file a petition in the sentencing court to request a hearing for possible sentence reduction.

Why second look matters

For decades, the U.S. has relied on excessive prison sentences that separate families, drain community resources, and fail to deliver public safety. Second Look reforms recognize what research has long shown:

• People change.
• Rehabilitation is possible.
• Families and communities are stronger when reunited.
• By allowing judges to revisit long-standing sentences, these policies bring our justice system closer to our shared values of fairness, dignity, and second chances.

Key points from The Second Look report include:

• Effective October 1, 2025, Maryland will allow many emerging adults (ages 18–24) to seek sentence reductions after 20 years—impacting approximately 600 people.
• Michigan expanded eligibility for resentencing, extending relief to 19- and 20-year-olds, bringing potential relief to 800+ individuals.
• Georgia, Oklahoma, and New York now allow survivors of domestic violence to petition for sentence review.
• Utah has joined a growing list of states adopting Prosecutor-Initiated Resentencing (PIR), which has already facilitated 1,000+ sentencing reviews nationwide.
• Delaware broadened eligibility for individuals who’ve served at least 25 years and expanded compassionate release for adults 60 years and older.