Good morning! New York, California and the District of Columbia have passed “Second Look” legislation that allows courts to reevaluate cases of prisoners who have been sentenced to life in prison. Many are nonviolent offenders with no option for parole.

In Pennsylvania a victim’s family was instrumental in getting the perpetrators’ sentence commuted, after spending over 40 years in prison. You can read their story here:

Action: Call or write to your state legislators to consider passing a Second Look law.

Possible Script: Hello, I’m a constituent from [YOUR ZIP] calling to express my support for the evaluation and reduction of prison life sentences. Many nonviolent offenders are primarily people of color and are serving life sentences with no chance of parole or reintegration into society. I am asking [NAME of YOUR LEGISLATOR] to follow the example of California, New York, and the District of Columbia and introduce “second look” legislation that aims to reduce racial disparities and biased sentencing in the criminal justice system. Thank you.

Have a great day! Betty