Support for criminal justice reform is growing among Louisiana residents, according to the fifth of six reports from the 2019 Louisiana Survey, with respondent approval at 70%, up from 61% a year ago.
Evolving views are particularly strong among Republicans and independents, the survey found. Republican support is up 14% from last year, while independent support grew by 12%.
Despite the popularity of criminal justice reform, few Louisiana residents believe the system is fair (32%) or believe it is effective at keeping communities safe (also 32%). In fact, most disagree that the system is fair (54%), with 55% saying it isn’t effective at keeping communities safe.
The Louisiana Survey, a project of the Manship School’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, is annually conducted by the Manship School’s Public Policy Research Lab to measure and track public opinion of contemporary policy issues. This year’s survey was conducted from Feb. 15 to March 7, and included 917 Louisianans aged 18 and older from across the state.
See the full installment of the Louisiana Survey. The sixth and final report will be released on Thursday.
