Even as our national political scene appears fractured, one issue is making bedfellows out of folks as disparate as Grover Norquist and Eric Holder: criminal justice reform. Liberals, conservatives, libertarians, progressives — all are calling for fundamental change, particularly for an end to mandatory minimum sentencing.
A 2008 poll by Families Against Mandatory Minimums found that 59% of the American public favored repeal of mandatory minimums. This past October, 7 years on, FAMM conducted the same survey. Across the entire political spectrum, opposition has shot up to 77%. The biggest spike in opposition is among Republicans. “In 25 years, I have never seen such deep and wide support for eliminating mandatory minimum sentences,” according to FAMM president Julie Stewart. “Our poll found that 71 percent of Republicans, including 65 percent who identify themselves as ‘very conservative,’ want to repeal one-size-fits-all sentences.”
Check out FAMM’s detailed breakdown of opinion by political persuasion:
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Source: Families Against Mandatory Minimums