This Mother’s Day, hundreds of advocates and impacted families took over the Albany Capitol to demand the immediate passage of the Earned Time, Marvin Mayfield, and Second Look Acts, because true justice means believing in second chances and healing.
Today we released a new report, Ending Endless Punishment: Excessive Sentencing, Transformation, and the Case for Second Look in New York, which urges the New York State Legislature to pass the Second Look Act (S158/A1283) this legislative session.
New York has cut prison admissions sharply over the past two decades, but it has not yet confronted the permanence of the punishments already imposed. Thousands remain inside under sentences handed down 20, 30, or 40 years ago — often during periods marked by punitive excess, racialized enforcement, and political fear — with no meaningful way to ask a court whether continued incarceration still makes sense.
The report’s other co-author, Mujahideen Muhammad, came home in 2024 after 24 and a half years in New York prisons and now works at the Center for Justice. “Co-authoring this report about the Second Look Act was an opportunity for me to do something meaningful for the many reformed men and women I left behind in prison with excessive sentences who are worthy of being reassessed based on who they are today.”
The report draws on criminological research, fiscal data, judicial testimony, and conversations with dozens of incarcerated scholars across New York.
The bill has drawn support from inside the system itself. Chief Judge Rowan Wilson made it the centerpiece of his 2025 State of the Judiciary address, calling the current system one that “isn’t working” and “maybe hasn’t really ever worked.” DOCCS Commissioner Daniel Martuscello appeared alongside him in support. A 2024 statewide poll found 68 percent of New York voters back allowing rehabilitated people to petition for resentencing.
Read more at the link in our bio.
Today in Albany, we gathered at the Capitol to honor mothers and demand change.
Hundreds of families, advocates, and lawmakers stood together to call for the passage of the Second Look Act, Earned Time Act, and Marvin Mayfield Act. We heard from mothers separated from their children and from loved ones who know what it means to wait for a second chance.
Families belong together, and New York must create real pathways home. #CommunitiesNotCages
Photo Credit: Eliza Colón
Planning life around visitation schedules. Budgeting to afford the inflated costs of basic goods behind bars. Providing emotional support and postponing life events.
This is the reality for Melanie Bishop and many mothers with an incarcerated child. Throughout her son’s incarceration, Bishop has found strength in sharing her story and advocating for change with @ccalternatives .
This #MothersDay, we are thinking of families who are separated by mass incarceration. Families belong together, yet too many are only able to connect over the phone or in a prison visiting room.
Learn more about incarceration’s toll on mothers at the link in our bio.
State lawmakers, legal leaders, and formerly incarcerated advocates came together to talk about why the Second Look Act matters, and why people who have transformed deserve a fair pathway home after 10 years served.
Thank you to Senator Julia Salazar, Assemblymember Latrice Walker, and Brooklyn Law School for being part of the conversation. The energy in the room said it all.
#CommunitiesNotCages #SecondLookAct
CCA’s CORE Center joined more than 3,500 volunteers for Rochester’s 20th Anniversary Clean Sweep! Staff, volunteers, and participants rolled up their sleeves and helped beautify our city together.
As a thank you for supporting the effort, we were gifted tickets to the Rochester Red Wings game. Proud to show up for our community.
Nearly 47 percent of men behind bars in the United States are parents of minor children. This means that there are more than half a million mothers who are shouldering the costs associated with incarceration—while managing additional domestic labor and childcare responsibilities at home—without their co-parent.
Vera estimates that mothers with an incarcerated co-parent lose an estimated $28,000 each year, in addition to the devastating toll on their mental health.
Tap the link in our bio to learn more and join the fight for an end to mass incarceration.
Reentry Week is about building real pathways home.
At the Reentry Connections Conference, CCA Community Organizer Thomas Gant moderated “Who Controls Opportunity? Employment, Licensing & Access,” joined by CCA Senior Reentry Advocate Dan Karlin, Shawn “GEE” Goburn, and Keith Brown.
They dug into the barriers people face when returning home, and what it will take to expand access to jobs, licensing, and opportunity. Reentry isn’t just about release. It’s about having a fair shot once you’re back.
Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs’ Harlem office brought our neighbors and partners together for an important conversation about New York’s #CleanSlate law.
Elizabeth Seymour (Manhattan DA’s Office), Paul Keefe (Community Service Society), and CCA’s Ismael Diaz broke down what record clearing really means for access to jobs, housing, and stability.
With full implementation on track for November 2027, the thoughtful questions in the room made one thing clear: people are ready for a real path forward.
Upstate mayors from Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester are calling on state lawmakers to get Raise the Age youth justice funds out the door faster and directly into community programs that keep young people safe and supported.
There’s over $1.7B in funding for youth justice services that hasn’t been spent, and communities want it flowing more efficiently to the organizations doing the work. It’s time to invest in prevention and opportunity where it matters most.
Read more: City & State NY, link in bio.
CCA was honored to receive a certificate recognizing us as a New York Bar Foundation Grant Recipient, presented by Gioia Gensini, Esq., New York Bar Foundation Member.
Melissa Castor, Director of Reentry Advocacy, and Kelly Gonzalez, Deputy Director and Reentry Attorney, accepted the award on behalf of CCA.
The NYBF has supported our Reentry Advocacy work for many years. This year, their support allows us to serve veterans impacted by the criminal legal system as they work to overcome barriers to employment and housing.
