The National Survey of Victims’ Views is the first-of-its-kind research on crime survivors' experiences with the criminal justice system and their preferences for safety and justice policy.

Rehabilitation over Punishment

Do you think we should be more focused on...
Rehabilitating people
who commit crimes
PUNISHING PEOPLE
WHO COMMIT CRIMES

New Safety Priorities

Victims prefer investments in new safety priorities to more spending on prisons and jails.
Education
15 to 1
Job Creation
10 to 1
Mental Health Treatment
7 to 1
At-Risk Youth Programs
7 to 1
Drug Treatment
4 to 1
Community Supervision
2 to 1

Shorter Sentences, Smarter Investments

Which do you prefer?
Shorter prison sentences
and spending more on prevention
and rehabiltiation programs
Prison sentences that
keep people in prison for
as long as possible

Alternatives to Incarceration

Victims prefer holding people that commit crimes accountable through different options beyond just prison such as rehabilitation, mental health treatment, drug treatment, community supervision, or community service.
70 % Holding people that commit crimes accountable through different options beyond just prison 7 % Other, includes both, neither, and don't know 23 % Holding people that commit crimes accountable by putting them in prison

Everyone Agrees

Across the board, victims agree on the need for new safety priorities. For example, investing more in schools and education rather than investing more in prisons and jails.
of Democrats
of Democrats
of Republicans
of Republicans
of Independent
voters
of Independent
voters
Do you prefer holding people that commit crimes accountable by putting them in prison OR through different options beyond just prison?
Do you think that prison helps rehabilitate people into better citizens OR makes them more likely to commit crimes?
Do you prefer prison sentences that keep people in prison for as long as possible OR shorter prison sentences and spending more on prevention and rehabilitation programs?

The Role of Prosecutor’s Offices

Which should be prosecutors’ primary goal? Getting as many convictions and prison sentences as possible OR solving neighborhood problems and stopping repeat crimes through rehabilitation, even if it means fewer prison convictions?