MA H1755

Incarcerated individuals age 25 or younger at the time of offense may petition for sentence reduction after serving 10 years (or 15 years for offenses involving loss of life); those 26 or older may petition after 12 years (or 18 years for loss of life cases)

Petitions are filed in superior court and referred to the original sentencing judge; the court must appoint counsel and hold a hearing within 45-180 days depending on circumstances such as medical conditions or age

Courts must consider rehabilitation efforts, disciplinary record, age-related brain development research, conditions of confinement, evidence of abuse or trafficking, and whether the person was denied effective counsel

Rebuttable presumption that sentences be reduced to time served if petition criteria are met; otherwise presumption of at least 20% reduction or no more than 5 additional years, whichever is shorter

Victims must be notified of hearings and may make impact statements; denied petitions trigger a 2-5 year waiting period before refiling, and the law applies retroactively to all convictions