Connecticut Advocates Push for Sentencing Reform Offering Incarcerated Individuals a Second Chance
The bill would expand a “second look” resentencing process for individuals who have demonstrated rehabilitation and growth.
Related to: Sentencing Reform, State Advocacy
[Hartford, CT] – Yesterday, advocates and community members testified in front of the Connecticut Judiciary Committee in support of Senate Bill 1327. This bill seeks to expand a “second look” resentencing process for individuals who have demonstrated rehabilitation and growth.
If passed, many more incarcerated individuals in Connecticut will – for the first time – have an opportunity for a sentence modification hearing, marking a significant step toward a more just legal system. Research shows that lengthy sentences make diminishing contributions to community safety—highlighting the urgent need for sentencing reform in our criminal legal system.
During the hearing at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford, representatives from Connecticut Second Look Sentencing Project, The Sentencing Project, ACLU of Connecticut, She Leads Justice, FAMM, Stop Solitary Connecticut, Law Offices of Alexander T. Taubes PLLC, American Justice Project, and other advocates urged lawmakers to pass the legislation.
Connecticut’s existing sentence modification law has already helped free individuals like Gaylord Salters and Eddie DeLeon, who are exemplary models for the kind of justice that sentence modification laws are meant to produce. However, as both Salters and DeLeon have noted, many other worthy candidates for resentencing remain left behind.
“Despite meeting the criteria for rehabilitation and being highly unlikely to reoffend, Connecticut’s legal system fails to prioritize the importance of rehabilitation for individuals that have been incarcerated for decades,” said Randal Chinnock, Legislative Advocate and Founder of Connecticut Second Look Sentencing Project. “It is time we recognize the capacity human beings have for change. By passing SB 1327, Connecticut can maintain its place as a leader in reforming our criminal-legal system to better reflect our values and achieve community safety.”
Connecticut’s current law requires individuals who pled guilty and received a sentence exceeding seven years to obtain prosecutorial approval for a sentence reduction, and it excludes all mandatory minimum sentences. Testimony highlighted the excessive nature of extreme sentencing, its disproportionate impact on Black and Brown communities, and the financial burden on taxpayers for incarcerating individuals long past the age when they pose a public safety risk.
“As the prison population ages, many people are left behind in an outdated system that fails to recognize the rehabilitation and transformation that can occur over time. SB1327 allows for a more equitable approach to Connecticut’s criminal justice system, offering a fair review process for those who have demonstrated growth and are ready to reintegrate into society,” said Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Director of Research at The Sentencing Project. “This bill challenges the belief that punishment should be harsh and indefinite, and instead offers a path toward a safer and more just society for all.”
Detractors argue that recent changes to Connecticut’s sentence modification law already provided a reasonable process for sentence review, expressing concerns that reducing the wait time for refiling applications from five to two years would harm victims and overwhelm criminal legal practitioners. However, the Office of Chief Public Defender testified in writing that they had no concerns with the implementation of the bill. And the judicial branch explained in their written testimony that they may just need to hire a few clerks. A State’s Attorney ultimately testified that they would “deal with it” if their caseload went up.
As Chinnock concluded in his testimony, “it is inhumane to oppose this bill based on theoretical budgetary impacts to the legal system when very real positive impacts are certain for the incarcerated and their loved ones.” He adds: “Any increase in the state budget to implement this law will be more than offset by savings in the cost of incarceration.”
Among those testifying were:
- Randal Chinnock, The Connecticut Second Look Sentencing Project
- Nazgol Ghandnoosh, The Sentencing Project
- Maria Goellner, FAMM
- Barbara Fair, Stop Solitary Connecticut
- Alexander Taubes, Law Offices of Alexander T. Taubes, PLLC
- Christopher Dukes, American Justice Project
- Lori LeDonne, ACLU of Connecticut
- Tonishia Signore, She Leads Justice
The hearing was live-streamed on Connecticut Network, allowing the public to witness firsthand the urgent calls to reform.
Advocates emphasized that Senate Bill 1327 is a necessary step to align Connecticut’s justice system with growing national recognition that extreme sentences should not be permanent and that rehabilitation should have a meaningful role in sentencing policies.
