Can they get a Second Look?

 words by charles brooks 

They’re asking for a second look. 

They’ve been locked up, and languishing behind the walls for over 20 years. 30 years. 40 years in prison. When as a juvenile, or coming to age as an adult at 18 or 19 years old was met with the experience of making a regrettable mistake that cost lives. 

Today, thousands of men and women are denied the opportunity, a process to have a judge review their case after serving many years of a long term or life sentence.  

Second Look legislation changes that by providing the opportunity to show the judge the change in their thinking, and in their value system.  To demonstrate their willingness to accept responsibility and be held accountable for the behavior that put them behind the walls - particularly to the victims of their criminal activities.  To tell their story of a personal journey towards redemption and transformation, for themselves and in service to others.  

They’re asking for a second look, to show how much they’ve changed since the first look.  

A opportunity to prove they do not pose a threat to themselves or to the community. To prove their intention is not to come home to prey upon others in the community but rather to continue their journey of redemption. 

Right now state legislatures in New York, Michigan, Nevada and Maryland are considering Second Look legislation.  But it’s Maryland’s prison population that stands out above the rest. They lead the nation in incarcerating the highest percentage of Black people at 72% and in sentencing young Black men to the longest prison terms.

Back in 1995, it was former Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening - a Democrat, who infamously said, “A life sentence means life,” which essentially eliminated any means to parole for those with life sentences in Maryland.  

In 2024, there’s 1,132 people in Maryland prisons who are serving 50 years or more, 2,072 serving life with parole and 424 are serving life without parole sentences. That’s nearly a quarter (23%) of the total prison population who are serving these extreme sentences and Maryland state lawmakers can address this with the proposed Maryland Second Look Act.  Two committee hearings have already been held in Maryland’s state legislature to hear testimony from both supporters and opponents of this proposed legislation. You can read an analysis of the hearings here. 

In between hearings though, there was an event that was just as revealing and informative as the state hearings. Just before the first hearing got underway, I had the opportunity to talk with several men who were locked up. They shared their personal stories with me, and why this proposed legislation was important. I was invited to an event held by The Maryland Second Look Coalition at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore City.  The event featured, Life After A Second Chance Docuseries as well as a panel discussion afterwards.  

 

On this particular day in February, the skies outside were dreary and cloudy as a steady light drizzle pounced the streets outside. Inside though, the energy in the room was palpable. It was a packed house to watch the premiere profiling six individuals who talked about their life when they came home.  Life After A Second Chance captures the stories of six individuals by showing their journey of self-transformation. A transformation that extends itself in the form of service. A particular public service that targets community. Their community.  But the mini-documentary also does something else, in revealing the impact and toll incarceration takes on the family. 

After the viewing, ACLU policy director Yanet Amanuel engaged in discussion with panelists that extended beyond providing the background and recent developments around Second Look legislation. The discussion highlighted the folks who make up the movement here, those who are in this fight. The men and women who came home to build a community of the formerly incarcerated. Now, they’re waging battle, advancing this fight as advocates for those who remain locked behind the walls.

The panel talked about the necessary support needed from both family and the community.  The toll that incarceration takes on the neighborhood and the healing that’s necessary to resume building.  The panel included, Mr. Craig Muhammad, Mr. Anthony Muhammad and Ms.Etta Myers who collectively served over 110 years in prison. Ms. Myers shared her experiences as a woman incarcerated for 39 years and now shares the stage, advocating for women in prison. 

Mr. Craig Muhammad who served 42 years, gave insight into his commitment to transform lives. To transform and build neighborhoods. Safe neighborhoods. Here he  described the ongoing work with gangs that actually began while incarcerated.

The discussion also drew attention to the role of restorative practices, and the alignment to victims rights. Here, Mr. Anthony Muhammad gave critical insight into the programs and practices outside and inside the prisons to address victims of crimes as part of the restorative process.  His remarks brought clarity to how restorative practices narrows the gap between sentence reform versus recognizing the rights of victims.  

Nevertheless, the Maryland Second Look Act is framed as sentence reform versus victims rights while overlooking the critical role of restorative practices. Across the country as well as in Maryland, restorative practices are used to promote healing while aligning victims rights with prisoner rehabilitation.   There’s a greater awareness today of how it helps to reconcile the fragile balance between meaningful sentence reform and recognizing the victims. 

This years’ 2025 legislative session provides another opportunity for Maryland lawmakers in the Judicial Proceedings and Judiciary Committees to pass meaningful sentence reform. Another opportunity for these lawmakers to reconcile redemption, and one’s capacity to transform their life to the trauma and emotional suffering experienced by the victims of the crime. 

In recent years, Second Look legislation has been passed in 12 states, the District of Columbia, and the federal government. 

Can Maryland get a Second Look? 

Illustration credit: Veronica Martinez, Injustice Watch

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THEY DESERVE A SECOND LOOK, words by charles brooks