The Center for Justice along with Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, gave a presentation before the associate judges of the Supreme Court Appellate Division’s First Department about the Second Look Act and supporting the reentry of formerly incarcerated people.
At the request of the presiding Justice Dianne Renwick, the Center for Justice at Columbia University along with Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison, gave a presentation this week before the associate judges of the Supreme Court Appellate Division’s First Department about the Second Look Act and supporting the reentry of formerly incarcerated people.
Presenters included co-director Geraldine Downey PhD, professor and lecturer Dr. Noah Remnick, Dominic Dupont, Mujahideen Muhammad, Hudson Link for Higher Education in Prison President Sean Pica, and Sherika Stewart.
The Second Look Act (S.158 - Salazar / A.1283 - Walker) will allow judges to review and reconsider excessive sentences. Under current sentencing laws, incarcerated people have no opportunity to demonstrate to a judge that they have transformed while incarcerated or to seek a reconsideration of their sentences based on changes in law and norms. The Second Look Act will allow incarcerated people to apply for a resentencing hearing after they have served 10 years or half of their sentence.
Read Mujahideen Muhammad's thoughts on the Second Look Act here
