Pubdate: Wed, 13 Feb 2002
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2002 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: David Bank, Staff Reporter

SUPPORT FOR CRIME PREVENTION RISES AS TOUGH APPROACH LOSES FAVOR

A new survey suggests public opinion is swinging toward crime prevention 
and rehabilitation and away from harsh punishments, including 
mandatory-sentencing provisions such as "three strikes, you're out," that 
many states adopted in the last decade.

The poll results, to be released Wednesday, may give pause to political 
candidates seeking to position themselves as tough on crime in this year's 
elections. And the numbers indicate there may be broad support for voter 
initiatives under way in several states for measures that mandate treatment 
and counseling rather than jail time for some nonviolent drug offenders.

"Six or seven years ago, letting somebody outflank you on the right was a 
dangerous place to be politically," said Guy Molyneux, senior vice 
president of Peter D. Hart Research Associates in Washington, D.C., which 
conducted the survey. "Now, that's not going to be a concern and there may 
even be situations where someone can go on the offensive talking about new 
approaches."

The survey, conducted both before and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, 
was backed by the Open Society Institute, which is funded by financier 
George Soros. Mr. Soros is a major backer of the treatment-not-jail ballot 
measures, which have passed in California and Arizona. Signature-gathering 
drives are under way in Florida, Michigan and Ohio.

One reason for the shift in opinion appears to be the falling crime rate of 
recent years, which may have made the public more receptive to alternative 
approaches. For example, the poll found adults, by a 56% to 38% margin, 
supported eliminating "three strikes" policies and other mandatory 
sentencing laws, favoring letting judges choose sentences. In 1995, another 
poll found 55% of respondents thought mandatory sentences were "a good idea."

The shift comes as "three-strikes" provisions are under legal attack as 
well. Last week, a federal appeals court overturned two sentences imposed 
under California's law, ruling that a 25-years-to-life term for petty theft 
violated constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

More than three-quarters of respondents favored proposals requiring 
mandatory drug treatment rather than prison time for people convicted of 
drug possession. More than 70% favored extending the approach even to 
small-scale drug sellers. An initiative in Massachusetts that proposed such 
treatment for dealers was defeated in 2000.

In general, the survey found support had grown to 65% for dealing with 
crime by providing job training, family counseling and youth activities, 
with 29% favoring stricter sentencing, capital punishment for more crimes 
and fewer paroles for convicted felons. When the same question was asked in 
a 1994 survey, 48% favored addressing the causes of crime and 42% preferred 
the get-tough approach.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager