In Montgomery, Alabama, a Republican-sponsored bill that aims to allow new sentencing hearings for individuals serving life sentences for nonviolent crimes made a narrow progression in the Alabama Senate on Tuesday. This occurred in a unique show of bipartisanship amid a national backdrop where both Democrats and Republicans tend to advocate for stringent crime policies.
The bill, known as the “Second Chance Act,” garnered support in the predominantly Republican Senate chamber, passing with a vote of 17-8. It has the backing of Republican Governor Kay Ivey who described it as “a common sense reform.” This type of legislation has seen attempts in previous years but hadn’t succeeded in moving forward until now.
Republican Bill Barfoot, who sponsored the bill, estimates that around 200 of the 20,000 or so individuals incarcerated in state prisons could be impacted. These individuals were sentenced under a 1977 habitual offender law that has since undergone revisions.
The legislation specifically targets individuals charged before the year 2000, prior to the enactment of laws granting judges more leeway in sentencing decisions. Essentially, this change would only pertain to those who have been imprisoned for more than 25 years for offenses that did not involve physical harm to others. Barfoot remarked that those sentenced prior to reform would potentially face shorter sentences if tried under current laws.
“We release individuals with far more serious offenses under current guidelines,” Barfoot pointed out.
Critics of the bill voiced concerns on Tuesday, arguing that it could place a strain on the court system and potentially allow formerly incarcerated individuals the chance to re-offend.
Barfoot stressed that the proposal is “not a get out of jail free card.” During the resentencing process, district attorneys, along with any victims related to the original crime, would be permitted to present testimony against the re-sentencing effort.