The North Carolina Second Look Act: HB589

Here at Prison Reimagined, we aren’t only putting together exhibitions. We’re also thinking about the ways we can advocate for real change to the justice and carceral systems. Our founder and chief curator, Caddell Kivett, has been hard at work for months drafting a bill and reaching out to North Carolina legislators. 

We are proud to announce the introduction of the North Carolina Second Look Act: HB589, filed and introduced into the NC House of Representatives on April 1.

This bill needs your support to advance in our legislature. Phone calls and emails to NC House representatives are effective ways to support a bill.

If you live in NC, you can look up the representatives for your county, then call and email their office. 

Here's an example of what to say:

“I live in your district and would like you to support HB 589, the Second Look Act. We would like his bill to advance to the Judiciary Committee."

If you don't live in NC, or if you'd rather us look up a contact for you, you can call or email Ted Davis, chair of the Judiciary at 919-733-5786, and ted.davis@ncleg.gov. You can also use this handy tool. 

At Prison Reimagined we work to promote decarceration through non-reformist reforms. One measure with real promise is Second Look sentencing legislation, which is trending in legislatures around the country.

Second Look sentencing efforts — bills introduced which could become law — would create a process for incarcerated people who have served long sentences  (and meet other qualifiers) to petition a court for resentencing. This could mean shorter sentences and early release for people who have served more than 10 years, and have utilized their time behind bars to improve their capability of successful reentry. 

These bills provide a path for people who deserve a second chance.

If you have questions about Second Look sentencing efforts, you can find more information on The Sentencing Project's website. Their report, The Second Look Movement, is a comprehensive overview of national second look efforts and trends.

Thank you for reading and please support our bill!

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From the NC Second Look Act:

Whereas,

• There are nearly two million people in American prisons and jails, a five hundred percent increase over the past fifty years;

• Research has repeatedly shown that lengthy prison sentences do not significantly deter crime and instead divert resources away from from essential public safety services;

• North Carolina's correction spending —including prisons as well as probation and parole—has nearly quadrupled over the past two decades, making it he fastest growing budget item after Medicaid;

• North Carolina's prisons are chronically understaffed, with 39% of positions vacant as of April 2024; 

• One-third of the prison population is over the age of 55, and decades of data shows a steep decline in crime at about the age of 35.

The best thing about the NC Second Look Act is that it provides a path to freedom, only for those who've earned it.