In March, the Sentencing Project announced the creation of the Second Look Network.

Across the country, we have seen the rise of resentencing and other laws designed to allow people who have served decades in prison, but who no longer represent a threat to public safety, to have their sentences reconsidered and at times, resentenced and gain release.

“The Second Look Network is a coalition of attorneys and post-sentence advocates across the country working on behalf of incarcerated individuals seeking relief from lengthy or unfair sentences, beyond the context of wrongful conviction or innocence claims.”

Data shows that mass incarceration has often sentenced people to lengthy sentences even as they age out of crime and even as the costs of already inadequate health care in prisons soar.

It is a project of the Sentencing Project.

Listen as Everyday Injustice speaks with Becky Feldman who is heading up the Network as she discusses the focus and goals of the project.

Everyday Injustice Podcast Episode 194: Second Look Network

On October 19, the 2023 Vanguard Justice Awards Gala, the Vanguard will present Danielle Harris, of the San Francisco Public Defender’s Officer and the Freedom Project with a Vanguard Justice Award.

The San Francisco Public Defender's resentencing unit, known as The Freedom Project, has assisted more than 100 people in their resentencing and parole hearings, and assisted in 77 family reunifications. 

These efforts have saved over 1,000 years of prison time.

“The Freedom Project team was my lifeline—they saved my life,” said Belinda Anderson, who was represented by Danielle Harris and Stephen Liebb (winner of a Vanguard Justice Award in 2022) at the The Freedom Project. Anderson served 31 years before earning parole and being resentenced. “My second chance means I get to spend time with my family—especially my daughter and grandson—to celebrate the holidays together, along with other occasions big and small. I am successfully employed and I love the work that I do.”

Listen as we talk to Harris about her work and the work that the Freedom Project does on resentencing and also representation on parole hearings.

Join us in honoring Danielle Harris and the Freedom Project on October 19.

Tickets start at $100 per plate.  Sponsors at $250.  To sponsor this event and support this incredibly important cause – please click here – http://tinyurl.com/Vanguard2023.

Everyday Injustice Podcast Episode 219: Danielle Harris, Vanguard Justice Award Winner

Today on Everyday Injustice, we revisit a case that has haunted the justice system for nearly half a century—the case of Chief Douglas Stankewitz. Back on the show is attorney Alexandra Cock, who has devoted years to fighting for Chief’s release. Her legal work has uncovered a disturbing pattern of official misconduct, evidentiary irregularities, and racial bias that cast deep doubt on the integrity of the conviction. As someone who was just five years old when Chief went to prison—and is now over 50—I find it unconscionable that this case is still unresolved.

We first covered Chief’s habeas hearings in 2024, which raised compelling questions about forensic evidence, trial testimony, and lost or mishandled evidence. Despite these serious concerns, the judge ultimately denied the habeas petition—mischaracterizing key facts and offering little accountability. With the habeas route closed, Chief’s legal team is now turning to a full re-sentencing hearing and two Racial Justice Act motions that may finally open the door to his release. These motions highlight the deeply racialized context of the prosecution and trial, including the removal of the only Native American juror and inflammatory rhetoric used during sentencing.

In this episode, Alexandra walks us through the latest legal developments and the broader implications of this case. From questions about prosecutorial overreach to the sheer human toll of decades in solitary confinement, we examine what it means when a justice system refuses to correct its mistakes—even in the face of overwhelming evidence. Alexandra’s insights also touch on Chief’s life behind bars, his extraordinary resilience, and the powerful support network rallying for his freedom.

This conversation is not just about one man’s fight for justice—it’s about what kind of society we are willing to be. It asks whether courts are capable of acknowledging past wrongs, and whether political expediency will once again override moral clarity. As we prepare for a critical re-sentencing hearing, this episode serves as both a legal update and a call to action. Because after 47 years in prison, the question isn’t whether Chief deserves freedom—it’s what excuse the system will offer next for denying it.


Everyday Injustice Podcast Episode 283 - Still Seeking Justice For Chief Stankewitz

Davis Vanguard Podcast will be covering criminal justice reform, mass incarceration, wrongful convictions, and more.

New tracks tagged #Resentencing