Examining Underlying Reasons for Continued Public Support for Punitive Sentencing for Drug Offenses in the U.S.: Preliminary Results from Three National Experiments
Ohio State Drug Enforcement and Policy Center Grant Report, Ohio State University School of Law. (2023)
11 Pages Posted: 11 Sep 2023
Date Written: 2023
Abstract
This grant report reports preliminary results for three experimental studies with national samples of the U.S. public that examine why many members of the public continue to support punitive approaches to the sentencing of different drug offenses. The findings have implications for understanding and influencing U.S. public support for sentencing approaches for drug offenses, including data to suggest that many members of the public back laws and approaches that align with or may be affected by their “internal feelings,” even if such approaches may not be evidence-based. These data can also inform the work of advocates and policymakers on how to get members of the public to “buy in” to drug sentencing reform and how to best promote public support for evidence-based sentencing laws in emerging reform efforts.
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