"At a time when violent crime is at a generational peak, when the knee jerk response to young criminals is to lock 'em up, [filmmaker Wynette] Yao is asking us to consider whether maximum sentencing for young offenders is the answer."
— The Washington Post
In the nineties, the manufactured "super-predator" narrative saw a drastic increase in the number of minors sentenced to life in prison. In Washington D.C., two innovative laws have passed that offer those who were given life sentences as juveniles and young adulthood an opportunity for early release.
District of Second Chances looks at the reasons for, and impacts of, so-called "Second Chance" legislation, which seeks to correct reactionary over-sentencing practices of the past. The film follows three individuals who are eligible for early release through these new laws, which include rigorous case-reviews and thus significantly lower recidivism rates. District of Second Chances calls into question dominant narratives around criminal justice and community safety, and shows that it's never too late to address past harms and grow, both as individuals and a society.
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