Attitudes of US Voters toward Nonserious Offenders and Alternatives to Incarceration

• A majority of US adults believe that some crimes,
for which offenders are currently incarcerated, do
not demand time behind bars.
• Eight in ten (77%) adults believe the most
appropriate sentence for nonviolent, nonserious
offenders* is supervised probation, restitution,
community service, and/or rehabilitative services; if
an offender fails in these alternatives, then prison or
jail may be appropriate.
Read the study here.