More Americans are losing trust in the U.S. criminal justice system as they are more divided on how to address criminal problems in the United States, a recent poll shows.
According to a Gallup poll released on Nov. 16, 58 percent of Americans say the U.S. criminal justice system is not tough enough to handle crime—a sharp plunge from 41 percent who said so in the 2020 poll.
When asked about their opinion about the U.S. criminal justice system, a quarter of Americans say the system is about right, down from 35 percent from three years ago, while 14 percent say it is too tough.
The Gallup poll has asked the question six times since 1992, when 83 percent of Americans said the system was not tough enough, while only 2 percent thought it was too tough at the time.
The results vary among ages, races, and political affiliations.
Older Americans think the criminal justice system needs to be tougher. Among Americans older than 55, 68 percent think the criminal justice system is not tough enough, 22 percent say it is about right, and 8 percent say it is too tough. In the group aged 18–34, 42 percent say the system is not tough enough, 34 percent believe it is about right, and 21 percent say it is too tough.
Most Republicans have consistently said the criminal justice system needs to be tougher over the years, while Democrats have the same view ranging from 25 percent to 62 percent, Gallup said.
In the 2023 survey, 81 percent of Republicans say the criminal justice system is not tough enough, while 40 percent of Democrats think the same. When asked whether the system is about right, 13 percent of Republicans think it is, compared with 33 percent of Democrats. In addition, 4 percent of Republicans said it is too tough, but 24 percent of Democrats hold the same view.
Fairness in the Criminal Justice System
Regarding the U.S. criminal justice system’s fairness in treating people accused of committing crimes, less than half of Americans, 49 percent, say criminal suspects are treated fairly. The result shows a significant drop from 20 years ago when about two-thirds of U.S. adults held the same view. An equal percentage of 49 percent of Americans think suspects are treated unfairly.While 39 percent of Republicans think that criminal suspects are treated unfairly, 56 percent of Democrats think the same. Among white adults, 46 percent think suspects receive unfair treatment, while 56 percent of people of color hold the same view.
Approaches to Lower Crime Rates
When asked about approaches to lower the crime rates in the United States, 64 percent of Americans think more resources, such as more money and effort, should address economic and social problems. In comparison, 35 percent say those resources should go to strengthening law enforcement. The results have been consistent over the years since 1989.The result is widely divided across the political spectrum. The percentage of Democrats (91 percent) who think addressing social problems to reduce crime is nearly three times higher than Republicans (32 percent.)
Strengthening Law and Order or Reducing Bias?
Regarding the priority focus of the U.S. criminal justice system today, 55 percent of Americans prioritize strengthening law and order through more police and stricter law enforcement, while 42 percent support reducing bias against minorities by reforming court and police practices. In the 2026 poll, less than half of Americans supported the same measure.Eighty-six percent of Republicans favor strengthening law and order, while 82 percent of Democrats support reducing bias against minorities.
The poll was conducted via telephone interviews with 1,009 American adults from Oct. 2–23, 2023.
