Why Second Chances Belong in Our Courtrooms

By Cheryl Morris, Ret. Deputy Superintendent, NYS Dept. of Corrections | Board Member, LEAP

 

As a retired Deputy Superintendent and proud board member of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), I have seen firsthand the power of transformation behind prison walls and the devastating toll of outdated, unyielding sentencing laws.

That is why I fully support New York’s Second Look Act (SB 321).

This proposed legislation would give people who have served at least 10 years or half their sentence if longer the right to petition for resentencing. It acknowledges the possibility of change, the reality of rehabilitation, and the need for fairness in a system that too often clings to past mistakes.

Too many people, disproportionately Black and Brown New Yorkers are still serving sentences that would never be imposed under today’s laws. This creates a two-tiered justice system: one where the past dictates fate, regardless of present-day values or progress.

By allowing judges to revisit sentences, the Second Look Act restores hope, dignity, and justice. It incentivizes personal growth, strengthens public safety, and affirms what so many of us in law enforcement know to be true: people can change.

New York spends over $115,000 per year to incarcerate one person. That’s money we could redirect toward reentry services, community healing, and the future of our neighborhoods.

Let us lead with wisdom and compassion. Let us take a second look and finally do the right thing.

#SecondLookAct #JusticeWithCompassion #CriminalJusticeReform #HopeAndRedemption #SmartOnCrime #PublicSafetyFirst #EquityInSentencing #LEAPForward