Second Chances Resource Library

The Washington State Supreme Court and the Washington State Legislature have created some new opportunities for some prisoners serving long and life sentences to have their sentence and releasability (re)considered. The implementation of these reforms has led to the release of hundreds of people, some of whom expected to die behind bars. This report provides an inventory of the progress that has been made — as well as the work that remains to be done to ensure that the harm caused by excessive sentencing is comprehensively remedied in Washington State. The findings include:

• Many people who are serving long and life sentences have been denied a second look for
  arbitrary reasons.
• As of the end of 2022, an estimated 637 people have become potentially eligible for review  because of these recent reforms. An estimated 286 have been released from prison after serving many years behind bars ( a tiny fraction of nearly 7,000 people currently serving a sentence of ten years or longer).
• The recidivism rate among people who returned home after receiving a very long or life sentence for a crime they committed as a juvenile and who subsequently became eligible for a “second look” after serving twenty or more years is remarkably low. Just two of 98 people (2.1 percent) who became eligible for review because they committed their crime as a juvenile who have returned to the community have been convicted of a new felony crime. Another five (5.2 percent) have had their parole revoked and were returned to prison for technical violations (as opposed to new criminal violations).
• People who were released through second look processes after serving decades behind bars contribute importantly to their families and communities upon release from prison.
• The trauma of long-term incarceration continues to pose important challenge even for people who are employed, housed, and connected with loved ones.