Should inmates be allowed a shortened or reconsidered sentence?

Crime and Law Enforcement (e.g., Gun Laws)
Second Look Act of 2019 (H.R. 3795)
Awaiting Vote
Bill Summary

HR 3795 allows for a reconsideration of an inmate’s sentence based on certain qualifications. Those include a sentence longer than 10 years, length served no less than 10 years, if the inmate is no longer a threat to any person, and if the inmate demonstrates the ability to reenter the greater community successfully. Additional factors to be considered include the nature of the offense, the age at the time of the offense, details of juvenile cases, victim statements, and mental/physical examinations. Finally, there is a requirement of the US Sentencing Commission to submit an annual report to the Judiciary Committees of the House and the Senate detailing the amount of reductions and information about each case (nature, demographics, etc). Sponsor: Rep. Karen Bass (Democrat, California, District 37)
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Opponents say

• “Our communities are safer when we do a better job of rehabilitating offenders in our custody. The Council should not hastily pass this legislation but should instead gather data about how defendants released under the current version of the IRAA fare over time. The victims of these crimes and the community at large should not be jeopardized by the Council’s rush to expand the IRAA. The proposed legislation misses the mark.” Source: U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu

Proponents say

• “Our bill targets a harsh reality: there are hundreds of thousands of people behind bars – most of them people of color – who were sentenced under draconian laws during the height of the War on Drugs that we have since recognized were unfair. But many of the changes we’ve made to these laws have not been retroactive. That means there are now an enormous number of people in prison who have served lengthy prison terms, are not a threat to the community, and are ready for re-entry, but are stuck under these outdated sentencing laws. Those policies don’t make us any safer, and waste resources that could be used to invest in our communities and our future, rather than serving to discard the marginalized and most vulnerable. Our bill recognizes this unfairness and gives people who have served their time a ‘second look.’” Souce: Sen. Cory Booker (Democrat, New Jersey)
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