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Poll Shows Evolving Attitudes On Criminal Justice Among Conservatives
A recent poll of mostly white, conservative Louisiana voters found that their attitudes on the criminal justice system have changed.
April 6, 2023
6:00
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Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Poll shows evolving attitudes on criminal justice among conservatives
Louisiana voters feel low-level offenders should have more opportunities
By: Wesley Muller - April 6, 2023 6:00 am
Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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A recent poll of mostly white, conservative Louisiana voters found that attitudes on the criminal justice system have changed. Respondents, by large margins, feel low-level offenders should be treated less harshly and have better employment opportunities after serving their sentences.
The poll, conducted by the Baton Rouge firm JMC Analytics and Polling, surveyed 605 voters in January. Approximately two-thirds were white, 50% conservative and 24% moderate. Only 20% described their political views as liberal.
The most popular statements, by margins exceeding 82%, suggested those with mental health or substance issues be diverted to treatment instead of prison, and that the system should make it easier for low-level offenders to find employment after fulfilling terms of their punishment.
Similarly, 77% of respondents agreed that non-violent offenders who have served their time and who have stayed out of trouble should have their record expunged or sealed.
In a press release Wednesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards pointed to the poll as evidence that Louisianians support criminal justice reforms he enacted. The measures took money saved by limiting the number of non-violent, non-sex offenders sent to prison and used it to invest in job training, re-entry services and other services.
“Conservative and non-partisan experts agree that our bipartisan criminal justice reform was a success, and that by focusing criminal justice system resources on violent offenders who pose a threat to public safety, our reform helped our criminal justice system during the nationwide increase in violent crime following the COVID-19 pandemic,” Edwards said in the statement. “There is too much crime, and we have more work to do. The people of Louisiana know that the way to reduce crime is to continue the bipartisan, data-driven, smart on crime approach we have taken.”
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The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized.
