A new bill being proposed in Albany would give some people behind bars a chance at re-sentencing if they are eligible.  

The bill was introduced by state Assemblywoman Latrice Walker, who has been joined by state senator and fellow Brooklyn lawmaker Julia Salazar.  

The bill would allow incarcerated people who have served more than 10 years or 50% of their sentence to petition for re-sentencing.  

Those eligible would also have to show that they have used prison as a form of rehabilitation and self-improvement.  

For Attika, who met Shawn Peace in high school, a chance at resentencing could mean a reunion with her husband. They didn’t reconnect until 2019, five years after Peace was sentenced to 110 years behind bars for second-degree attempted murder, robbery, and other charges.  

The two are celebrating their one-year wedding anniversary next week, and Attika says that her husband has been dramatically impacted by his time spent in prison.  

“Shawn has changed tremendously,” said Attika. “He wants to give back to his community, he wants to mentor our youth.” 

Attika says Peace has been helping to mentor their children, and that he encourages them and motivates them to not follow in his footsteps. Despite those changes, there’s currently no action they can take to reduce Peace’s sentence.  

Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Louisiana have all passed similar legislation.  

The Second Look Act is currently in committee and the two Brooklyn lawmakers hope to see it pass sometime in 2023.