An Act for second look

This bill allows incarcerated individuals in Massachusetts to petition their original sentencing judge for a sentence reduction after serving a minimum number of years in custody. Eligibility depends on the person's age at the time of the offense, requiring at least 10 years served for those who were 25 or younger and 12 years for those 26 or older, with longer wait times of 15 and 18 years respectively for crimes involving loss of life. The law mandates that the Department of Correction notify eligible inmates about this option after 9 and 14 years in custody and requires the court to provide specific reasons for denying any petition. If a petition is denied, the individual must wait at least two years before filing again, though the judge can extend this waiting period up to five years and set specific criteria the inmate must meet to be eligible for a subsequent review.