1. Families Against Mandatory Minimums Maryland Poll Results
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Families Against Mandatory Minimums Maryland Poll Results
Key findings from a Maryland Survey
Conducted November 17-19, 2015

2. Method
Harper Polling surveyed 400 likely voters in the state of Maryland. Responses were gathered through land line and cell phone interviews using live operators. The polling was conducted November 17-19, The margin of error is +/- 4.89%.
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3. 70% of Maryland voters favor repealing mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders.
Q: Some have proposed eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders, giving judges the ability to make sentencing decisions in the context of each individual case. Do you favor or oppose repealing mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders?
25% somewhat favor
45% strongly favor
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4. 78% of Maryland voters agree that the state spends too much money locking up nonviolent drug offenders.
Q: Please tell me whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: “Maryland spends too much money locking up nonviolent drug offenders and should shift some funding to other priorities, like drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation programs that can stop addicts from becoming repeat offenders.”
19% somewhat agree
5% somewhat disagree
59% strongly agree
9% strongly disagree
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5. 46% of Maryland voters oppose mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
Q: Mandatory minimum sentencing laws require prison stays of pre-determined lengths for certain crimes. Judges are not permitted to consider relevant information about the case prior to issuing a mandatory minimum sentence as required by law. Do you favor or oppose mandatory minimum sentencing laws?
18% somewhat oppose
28% strongly oppose
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6. 57% of Maryland voters are more likely to favor repeal of mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenders after learning of other states’ experiences.
Q: Over the past decade, Republicans and Democrats in more than a dozen states have either repealed or reformed their mandatory minimum sentencing laws for nonviolent drug offenses. In every state, crime and prison costs have gone down. Does this information make you more likely or less likely to favor repealing mandatory minimums for non-violent drug offenses?
22% somewhat more likely
5% somewhat less likely
35% much more likely
10% much less likely
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7. 50% of Maryland voters favor repealing mandatory minimums for gun possession during a drug offense.
Q: Some have proposed eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for gun possession during a drug offense, giving judges the ability to make sentencing decisions in the context of each individual case. Do you favor or oppose repealing mandatory minimums for gun possession during a drug offense?
19% somewhat favor
10% somewhat oppose
31% strongly favor
30% strongly oppose
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8. 66% of Maryland voters would reserve harsher penalties for drug dealers who use a gun to help them commit a crime.
Q: Please consider the following scenario. One drug dealer uses a gun to help him commit his crime. Another drug dealer owns a gun but does not use or even carry it when committing his crime. Which dealer should be punished more harshly: the dealer who uses his gun to help him commit the drug crime OR the dealer who owns a gun but does not use it to commit the drug crime?
66%
24%
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9. Demographics Phone Type Cell 32% Landline 68% Ideology Conservative
Moderate
38%
Liberal
31%
Gender
Male
46%
Female
54%
Race
White
61%
African-American
25%
Hispanic or Latino 3%
Other
11%
Age
18 to 39
15%
40 to 54
30%
55 to 65
27%
66 or older
28%
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10. HarperPolling. com info@HarperPolling
HarperPolling.com 121 State Street Harrisburg, PA 17101
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