SECOND CHANCE JUSTICE
Second Chance Justice (SCJ) is an interfaith coalition of people of varied backgrounds and beliefs who share a common commitment to undoing the legacy of mass incarceration. As a campaign of the Massachusetts Communities Action Network, Second Chance Justice is driven by a belief in redemption and the transformative power of compassion.
SCJ is comprised of returning citizens and those who are privileged to stand in solidarity with them
SCJ works for a more equitable system of justice for all by amplifying the voices of people most directly impacted by mass incarceration
SCJ elevates their stories in order to shine greater light on the urgent need for systemic change and to help deepen our understanding of the impact of current injustices
In 2020 and 2021, Second Chance Justice organized and advocated for the Governor, Advisory Board of Pardons, and Governor's Council to grant one of the first two commutations of a first degree life sentence in Massachusetts in 25 years. As a result, SCJ’s organizing campaign opened the door to systemic changes in the clemency process in Massachusetts.
WILLIAM ALLEN - Paving The Way
William Allen’s return home from a life without parole sentence was made possible through the organizing of Second Chance Justice. In fall 2022, he celebrated his return to the Brockton community with a public event accompanied by former New England Patriots team captain Devin McCourty, now an analyst for NBC's Football Night in America (right).
THE WORK TODAY - Reimagining Clemency and Reentry
Second Chance Justice leader Sarah Agebite welcomes participants to a SCJ Teach-In hosted by Harvard Divinity School in February 2026.
For the past two and a half years, Second Chance Justice members have researched reentry, clemency, and racial justice, SCJ’s areas of focus within the criminal legal system. The team has interviewed key individuals, met with various organizations, held research meetings, and studied best practices in other states. Additionally, they met with over 100 incarcerated and recently released individuals who have provided anecdotal evidence, which has deepened understanding and informed recommendations as related to: the clemency process; the challenge of the commutation application, particularly for those without legal counsel; and the defeatist mindset, rooted in the inordinate wait times for a response, that leads people to not even apply for parole, medical parole, a pardon or commutation. The team has also worked with more than twenty individuals on their own journeys asking for clemency.
THE POWER OF STORY
Narratives or widely held beliefs about the carceral system are often shaped through the stories we most often hear. That is why Second Chance Justice centers the voices of returning citizens in this work. Their testimonies challenge harmful assumptions, reveal the truth of reentry, and call us into a broader vision of community where people are not defined by incarceration, but by their humanity, resilience, and potential. When those most impacted speak for themselves they transform predominant narratives, and in doing so, can also open the door to systemic change.
Click their name below to read their stories.
REPORT TO THE OFFICE OF
MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR MAURA HEALEY
At the request of Governor’s Healey staff, Second Chance Justice submitted a 19 page report to her office titled, The Time Has Come, in April 2026. The report contains research findings, testimonies from the five returning citizens whose stories appear above, as well as the following set of recommendations for reform of the clemency and reentry processes.
Ensure timely clemency decisions by acting on all commutation applications already approved by the Advisory Board of Pardons and adhering to timelines set forth in your Executive Clemency Guidelines. Recommending a June 30th deadline for the four pending commutations waiting 1-3 years.
Strengthen and normalize the clemency process by improving transparency and gathering experts to develop a plan for streamlining and encouraging applications.
Fully staff and support decision-making bodies, including filling vacancies that slow the process.
Establish a Governor’s Reentry Council whose goal is to develop a strategic plan to coordinate services and set measurable goals to support access to housing, health care, employment pathways, and community support for returning citizens.
JUSTICE CAN’T WAIT PRESS CONFERENCE
Second Chance Justice held a press conference October 13, 2026 at the State House, asking Governor Maura Healey why she has failed to act on recommendations to commute the sentences of Edward Fielding, Scott Kirwan, and Randy Arias. The Governor’s Advisory Board of Pardons recommended commutation for each man after thoroughly reviewing his record, conduct, and rehabilitation, including perspectives from victims and prosecutors.
“There was hope in this process when Governor Baker approved my commutation as one of the first two in 25 years here,” said William Allen, whom SCJ worked to bring home in May 2022. The following December, SCJ supported the return home of Ramadan Shabazz who has said, “When the system works, people respond. They grow. They prepare. They change. But when it stalls, that hope disappears.”
READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE
Watch press conference video.
Watch social media post documenting SCJ leaders visit to the Governor’s Executive Chambers following the press conference.
Governor Healey’s Advisory Board of Pardons has recommended commutation for the following three men:
ED FIELDING Approved for commutation October 10, 2024
A Navy veteran, Ed founded and helped lead veterans’ support programs, particularly those focused on mental health, and designed curricula for these groups.
He served as a board director of a veterans’ organization.
He believes in restorative justice and puts its principles into practice.
At 75, he is in his 55th year of incarceration. He has received only four disciplinary reports during that time, with the last occurring decades ago.
Chosen for Safe and Elderly Assistance Program as a trusted companion
SCOTT KIRWAN Approved for commutation October 30, 2023
Served in the U.S. Navy with top level security clearance; received honorable discharge after five years of service
Assisted disabled and mentally ill men at Bridgewater State Hospital; currently works assisting elderly and disabled prisoners
Volunteers as a mentor with men in recovery from drugs and alcohol
RANDY ARIAS Approved for commutation: November 21, 2004
• Received bachelor’s degree, Emerson College while in prison
• Is a trainer for service dogs
• Advocates for clemency for his peers
SECOND CHANCE JUSTICE TEACH-INS
ON ZOOM AND IN PERSON
Hear the stories of formerly incarcerated people struggling for true freedom
Learn about the broken and unjust aspects of our current reentry system
Discover SCJ’s vision for change and how you can be a part of it
TO BE NOTIFIED ABOUT UPCOMING TEACH-INS or
TO EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOST A TEACH-IN PLEASE EMAIL secondchancejustice@mcan.us
SUBJECT LINE: SCJ TEACH-IN SCHEDULE
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