How Levels of Support for State Drug Sentencing Policies Vary Along Racial and Gender Lines.

In the 1970s and 1980s the United States government, primarily under President Reagan, initiated what we call the "War on Drugs." Soon after, state governments began to enact new legislation imposing mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenders, and eliminating judicial discretion in imposing sentences. It was not long, however, before the public began to react to the impacts of the sentencing laws, and to voice their opinions along with numerous public interest groups. After several years of sentencing under the new laws, many states, politicians, and judges became disenchanted with the harsh requirements and called for change. Since then some states have amended their drug laws to remove some of the previous mandatory sentences and restore judicial discretion. Some states, however, have declined to do so. What is known about criminal drug sentencing policies is that many state legislatures have become disenchanted with harsh policies to the extent that they have taken steps toward changing their policies, in some cases coming close to completely repealing the policies. It is not as clear, however, how public opinion has been impacted by this process, or whether it has played a role at all. Perhaps more importantly, even less is known about levels of support for drug policies from minorities who are disproportionately affected by sentencing policies such as mandatory minimum sentences for some drug offenses. This paper poses the question of whether there are variations in support for drug policies along racial lines and gender lines. The question will be approached with a statistical analysis as well as application of the relevant literature. This project will be an attempt to determine whether there are higher or lower levels of support among different groups, and to explore why these differences might exist. My research will cover levels of public support for the criminal justice system in general and drug sentencing policies in particular. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]