On Monday, Nov. 23, 2020, voted Monday to advance a number of bills, including measures to permanently ban ghost guns, strengthen D.C.’s “red flag” law, clarify how citizen initiative and referenda can get on the ballot, and give more young offenders the chance to petition for early release from prison, as reported by DCIST.com.
Of great importance to criminal system reform advocates approved by the committee was the Second Look Amendment Act. This bill would allow convicted felons who committed a violent crime before they turned 25 to petition for early release after they have served 15 years in prison.
The bill would expand the law known as the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act, or IRAA, which targets incarcerated felons who committed crimes before they turned 18, to increase that threshold age to 25. IRAA provides a process that recognizes young offenders who have taken steps to rehabilitate themselves should be given a chance at a reduced prison sentence.
All six measures are headed to a vote of the full council next month, where they need to be approved in two different rounds of votes before they become law.