A new bill filed by State Rep. Abe Jones in the North Carolina House seeks to reform criminal sentencing by permitting eligible individuals to request sentence modifications based on rehabilitation and public safety, according to the North Carolina State House.
The bill, filed as HB 589 on March 31 during the 2025 regular session, was formally listed with the short title: ‘The Second Look Act.’
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill, titled “The Second Look Act,” seeks to implement criminal sentence reduction reform in North Carolina by allowing individuals, except those sentenced to life imprisonment, to file a motion for sentence modification after serving either 10 years or 50% of their sentence for shorter terms. The court must determine that the defendant is not a danger to the community and that a sentence modification serves the interests of justice. Factors considered include the defendant’s behavior, rehabilitation efforts, age at the time of the offense, and any statements from victims or family. The bill becomes effective Dec. 1, 2025, applying to motions filed on or after that date.
Of the four sponsors of this bill, Marcia Morey proposed the most bills (26) during the 2025 regular session.
Bills in North Carolina follow a multi-step process before becoming law. A lawmaker starts by filing a bill, which is assigned to a committee for review. The bill must be read three times in each chamber. If one chamber changes the bill after the other passes it, both must agree on the final version. Once both chambers approve the same bill, it goes to the governor, who has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is not in session) to sign, veto, or let it become law without a signature.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
Jones graduated from Harvard University in 1974 with an AB and again in 1977 from Harvard Law School with a JD.
Jones, a Democrat, was elected to the North Carolina State House in 2021 to represent the state’s 38th House district, replacing previous state representative Yvonne Lewis Holley.
| Authors | Bill Number | Date Filed | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abe Jones, Julia Greenfield, Marcia Morey, and Renée A. Price | HB 589 | 03/31/2025 | The Second Look Act. |
| Abe Jones and Jeffrey C. McNeely | HB 585 | 03/31/2025 | Human Trafficking Reporting/Response System. |
| Abe Jones, Becky Carney, Robert T. Reives, II, and Shelly Willingham | HB 604 | 03/31/2025 | Rural and Downtown Community Eco. Dev. Grants. |
| Abe Jones, Julia Greenfield, Sarah Crawford, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 467 | 03/20/2025 | Reenact Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. |
| Abe Jones, Robert T. Reives, II, and Terry M. Brown Jr. | HB 446 | 03/18/2025 | Prohibition on Disclosing Booking Photographs. |
| Abe Jones, Charles Smith, Julie von Haefen, and Monika Johnson-Hostler | HB 367 | 03/11/2025 | Provide Rape Kit Status Updates to Victims. |
| Abe Jones, Garland E. Pierce, Hugh Blackwell, and Marcia Morey | HB 335 | 03/06/2025 | Expand Emergency Judge Eligibility. |
| Abe Jones, Marcia Morey, Phil Rubin, and Tim Longest | HB 129 | 02/13/2025 | Judge Joe John Nonpartisan Jud. Elections Act. |
