Try the political quiz
@ISIDEWITHQuestionsCriminal Issues2yrs ago

Should the government implement restorative justice programs as an alternative to incarceration?

Restorative justice programs focus on rehabilitating offenders through reconciliation with victims and the community, rather than through traditional incarceration. These programs often involve dialogue, restitution, and community service. Proponents argue that restorative justice reduces recidivism, heals communities, and provides more meaningful accountability for offenders. Opponents argue that it may not be suitable for all crimes, could be perceived as too lenient, and may not adequately deter future criminal behavior.

+
Expand
+ Settings

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

Answer Overview

Response rates from 27.6k America voters.

67%
Yes
33%
No
54%
Yes
26%
No
13%
Yes, but only if the crimes are non-violent
6%
No, provide restorative justice programs in addition to incarceration, not as an alternative

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 27.6k America voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 27.6k America voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

  @Mohanri-Brown from Massachusetts  answered…1yr1Y

Yes, but only if the programs are operated by an independent agency and cannot be manipulated by any political organization.

 @8XLR4JX  from North Carolina  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, except for criminals convicted of heinous crimes like rape or murder and/or who show no signs of remorse

 @9MKPRRP from Washington  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes but only for non violent crimes

 @B8JWYFJ from Virginia  answered…7mos7MO

Provide Restorative Justice Programs in addition to incarceration for violent offenders, non-violent offenders should just get Restorative Justice Programs.

 @BD32CYV from Alabama  answered…2mos2MO

No, restorative justice does not work.

 @9MNNYVY from Florida  answered…2yrs2Y

Depends on crime

 @7DD43ZH  from Texas  answered…2yrs2Y

Depends on the crime. Nonviolent could possibly be handled through these programs, but not violent or sexual crimes.

 @9ML9SVQ from North Carolina  answered…2yrs2Y

Depends on the crime committed

Popular Conversations

Join in on the most popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

▲  1614 replies

About This Data

Based on 27.6k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

iSideWith is non-partisan — we don't advocate for any party, candidate, or position. We report what the public tells us.

Read Our Full Methodology →

Cite Or Embed This Poll

Writing about this issue? Use the live data and link back to the full results.

Cite This Poll

iSideWith. (2026). “Should the government implement restorative justice programs as an alternative to incarceration?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 27, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/5139245913

Embed The Live Result

Preview