Americans overwhelmingly oppose mandatory minimum sentencing

More than three in four Americans are in favor of eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing for nonviolent offenders, a new poll conducted by Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) found.

Support for more flexible sentencing was strongest among adults 18-44, and weakest among men over 65. The position netted strong majority support across the political spectrum: Even the least enthusiastic group — those who considered themselves "very conservative" — were in favor of nixing mandatory minimums for nonviolent crimes by a two-to-one margin.

The survey also found that 79 percent of Americans agree that the "federal government is spending too much money on locking up nonviolent offenders" and could better devote those funds to other aspects of law enforcement, including services for victims of crimes and probation enforcement.

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