(NewsNation) — A new survey has found that the majority of Americans think the U.S. criminal justice system is “not tough enough” with regard to how it handles crime.
According to the Gallup survey, 58% of Americans say the system is not tough enough on crime, that figure is a drastic reversal from a 2020 survey when 41% said the same.
The survey’s findings, however, are also split along racial backgrounds. More white adults than people of color say the system is fair and not tough enough. People of color, according to the survey, were more likely, 52%, to say “reducing bias against minorities” should be prioritized over strengthening law and order, 44%. White adults said the opposite with 60% in favor of tougher law enforcement and 38% in favor of reducing bias.
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Due to the survey’s small sample size of Black and Hispanic Americans, views of racial minority groups were placed together as “people of color.”
The survey also found striking differences in the way Democrats and Republicans perceive the American justice system.
Fifty-five percent of Republicans think that criminal suspects are treated fairly while the same percentage of Democrats think suspects are treated unfairly.
According to the survey, Democrats are more than twice as likely as Republicans to think addressing socioeconomic problems would be a better way to solve crime.