DC Superior Court Giving Second Chances To Prisoners

The Second Look Amendment Act (SLAA) went into effect on April 27, 2021, which was an update to the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA). Previously, IRAA provided the possibility of a reduced sentence to people who were under 18 at the time they committed a crime after the person had served at least 15 years in prison. The SLAA expanded eligibility to people who were under 25 at the time of the crime and who have served at least 15 years of their sentence to ask the court for a reduced sentence.

Many of these prisoners were imprisoned for murder, usually gang related or hardened criminal youth groups who roamed the streets of greater Washington DC. According to Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, “This is about understanding how people, especially young people, can change as they grow into adulthood. The men who have come home already are doing remarkably well.”