Criminal Justice Reform Policy - Political Parties and Stances

Generally, criminal justice reform polls well among both Democratic and Republican voters. 87% of Democrats and 57% of Republicans would like to see the US prison population reduced. However, despite general support for criminal justice reform among voters of both parties, the Republican party leadership has been more hesitant to embrace it. The 2016 party platform reiterated support for measures such as mandatory minimums and capital punishment, practices that are often critiqued by proponents for criminal justice reform. This contrasts with the Democratic platform, which expressly commits to criminal justice reform.