We provide representation to individuals seeking relief from extreme sentences they received as youth.  The District of Columbia. D.C. has one of the highest incarceration rates in the country, and in recent years, the D.C. Council has enacted legislation that seeks to address mass incarceration by creating a sentence review mechanism called the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA). Under its current iteration, IRAA allows those who were under 25 at the time of their offense and have served 15 or more years in prison to petition the trial court for a sentence reduction. SLP provides representation to individuals seeking a sentence reduction under IRAA. Because we specialize in second look representation, the SLP team provides a holistic and trauma informed representation that involves intensive mitigation and a comprehensive release plan.

SLP provides representation to individuals seeking release under DC’s compassionate release statue. In DC individuals that has a terminal illness, which means a disease or condition with an end-of-life trajectory; is 60 years of age or older and has served at least 20 years in prison; Other extraordinary and compelling reasons warrant such a modification are eligible for compassionate release. 

The Second Look Project partners with pro bono and Criminal Justice Act (CJA) attorneys representing individuals seeking relief from extreme sentences. We provide specialized training, case consultation, litigation support, and access to resources that help attorneys effectively advocate for their clients.

Our team assists attorneys at every stage of the process, including case assessment, mitigation development, legal strategy, expert identification, and motion preparation. By serving as a resource and thought partner, we help ensure high-quality representation for individuals seeking relief under the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA), compassionate release, parole, and other sentence reduction mechanisms.

Through these partnerships, we have helped pro bono legal teams secure the release of more than 50 individuals serving lengthy prison terms. By expanding the capacity of the legal community to take on these complex cases, we are increasing access to justice and advancing second chances for more people impacted by extreme sentencing.