The Second Look Act of 2024 would allow federal prisoners serving sentences longer than 10 years to petition a federal court for sentence reduction if they have already served at least 10 years, pose no danger to public safety, and demonstrate readiness for reentry. The law would affect roughly 147,000 people currently serving life or virtual life sentences in federal prison, along with many others serving lengthy terms. Prisoners age 50 and older would receive a rebuttable presumption of release, meaning courts would lean toward releasing them unless prosecutors can demonstrate otherwise. The bill includes procedures for initial applications, with the possibility of a second application five years later if the first is denied, and subsequent applications under certain conditions. The United States Sentencing Commission would be required to submit annual reports to Congress detailing the number of applicants, those granted reductions, demographics, and geographic distribution of cases.
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