Second Chances Resource Library

This Article uses the District of Columbia’s Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (“IRAA”) and legislation expanding IRAA to discuss the critical need for second look mechanisms, which combat mass incarceration by providing individuals serving lengthy sentences with meaningful opportunities to return home. Part II provides background on the history of mass incarceration, the harm it and lengthy sentences cause, and the legal framework that led to the passage of IRAA and its progeny. Using these laws as a backdrop, Part III analyzes the impact of second look mechanisms, explains the importance of continuing to expand second look laws nationwide, and provides practical considerations for jurisdictions enacting these types of laws. Part IV concludes the Article.