MA H2054

Eliminates mandatory life without parole for individuals aged 21-25 years and 364 days at the time of their offense, making them eligible for parole review both retroactively and prospectively

Establishes new minimum sentences with parole eligibility for first-degree murder: 20 years for felony murder, 25 years for premeditated murder, 30 years for extreme cruelty or atrocity, and 20 years for other first-degree murder convictions

Requires courts to restructure sentences without resentencing hearings, with the Department of Corrections gathering mittimuses within 90 days and county clerks having 90 days to modify them

Mandates parolees attend therapy or counseling addressing harm, trauma, and accountability, with parole officers ensuring compliance

Cites brain development research showing the prefrontal cortex and striatum continue maturing into the mid-20s, affecting impulse control and risk assessment, along with racial disparities where non-white defendants receive harsher sentences at 16 times the rate of white counterparts