The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont bill creates judicial review process for incarcerated persons serving 15-year or longer sentences
Last action · February 26, 2025: Read first time and referred to the Committee on Corrections and InstitutionsSponsors: Eric Maguire and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Vermont House Bill 379 establishes a "second look" sentencing procedure allowing incarcerated individuals serving at least 15 years to petition the for a sentence reduction after serving 15 years. The bill mandates written notice requirements from the Department of Corrections, sets strict timelines for hearings based on medical conditions and age, and requires annual reporting of resulting corrections savings for reinvestment in victim services and recidivism programs.
Incarcerated individuals meeting the 15-year service threshold gain the legal right to petition for judicial review and potential sentence modification, while the state government incurs new administrative mandates for notifications, court hearings, and annual savings reinvestment reports.
- The Sentencing Project is a research and advocacy organization that works for reform in the criminal justice system. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
incarcerated persons
Incarcerated persons serving qualifying long-term sentences gain the right to petition sentencing courts for sentence reductions after serving 15 years.
Vermont Department of Corrections
The Department of Corrections is required to provide written notices to eligible individuals and courts, track population metrics, and submit annual savings reports to the legislature.
victims and family members
Victims and their families receive notices of petitions, have the right to attend hearings, and may submit impact statements.
Key Facts
- An incarcerated person serving a term of imprisonment of at least 15 years who has served not less than 15 years may petition the sentencing court for a reduction of the person's term of imprisonment.
- Not more than 90 days after a person's 15th year of imprisonment begins, the Department of Corrections must provide written notice of the Second Look Sentencing Act to the incarcerated person, sentencing court, prosecutor's office, and Office of the Public Defender.
- A petition for a sentence reduction may be filed six months after the date on which the 15th year of imprisonment begins.
- Petitions must be assigned to the judge who imposed the original sentence, if available, unless the petitioner requests otherwise.
Show all 10 facts
- An incarcerated person or petitioner cannot waive the right to petition, and prosecutors cannot request a waiver, though an otherwise eligible petitioner may file upon consent of the prosecutor.
- Neither statutory mandatory minimums nor fully executed plea agreements preclude a person from seeking relief under this section.
- The court must set a hearing within 45 days if the individual has major limitations in activities of daily living or specific medical conditions, within 90 days if the individual has served at least 25 years and is at least 60 years old, or within 180 days otherwise.
- Victims and their families have the right to be present at hearings, receive notice, and provide written or oral statements regarding the impact and whether the petition should be granted.
- Annually on or before July 1, the Department of Corrections must submit a report to the Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee detailing savings and recommendations to fund victim support, recidivism programs, and reentry initiatives.
- The act applies to sentences imposed prior to the effective date of July 1, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to file a petition for a sentence reduction under this bill?
What happens if the court denies a sentence reduction petition?
Are victims notified when a petition is filed?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Feb 26, 2025HouseIntroducedRead first time and referred to the Committee on Corrections and Institutions
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Introduction of Judicial Review for Long Sentences
The bill shifts from traditional finality of long and life sentences by establishing a statutory procedure for judicial sentence reduction after 15 years served.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools