01/16

How often do you discuss politics with family, friends, or others who are incarcerated?

Occasionally

33%

Frequently

21%

Rarely

19%

Very Frequently

16%

Never

11%

Occasionally

33%

Frequently

21%

Rarely

19%

Very Frequently

16%

Never

11%

02/16

Have you ever voted before?

While voting is an important form of political participation, it is a relatively basic form of political expression. Other modes of political voice, such as protest and petitions, communicate more specific political ideas and desires.

No

57%

Yes

43%

No

57%

Yes

43%

03/16

In general, do you think things in our country are headed in the right direction or do you feel things are headed down the wrong track?

Larger shares of adults in the U.S. spend more time discussing their concerns about issues and problems facing the country than politics.

Copeland, J. (2024, July 2). What’s new with you? What Americans talk about with family and friends. Pew Research Center.

36%

Wrong track

36%

In between

16%

Right direction

12%

No opinion

Wrong track

36%

In between

36%

Right direction

16%

No opinion

12%

04/16

How often do you feel that elected officials are acting in your interest?

38%

Rarely

31%

Sometimes

16%

Never

9%

Don't know / No opinion

4%

Very often

2%

Always

Rarely

38%

Sometimes

31%

Never

16%

Don't know / No opinion

9%

Very often

4%

Always

2%

05/16

Which party do you think is more committed to criminal justice reform?

Historians and other social scientists have shown that mass incarceration has been a bipartisan endeavor. Both the Democratic and Republic parties contributed to its rise.

Murakawa, N. (2014). The first civil right: How liberals built prison America. Oxford University Press.

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27%

Neither is committed

23%

Democrats

23%

Don't know / No opinion

19%

Republicans

8%

They're equally committed

Neither is committed

27%

Democrats

23%

Don't know / No opinion

23%

Republicans

19%

They're equally committed

8%

06/16

Please indicate how you feel about the following policy: Banning assault weapons

Strongly oppose

24%

Strongly support

22%

Undecided

20%

Oppose

19%

Support

15%

Strongly oppose

24%

Strongly support

22%

Undecided

20%

Oppose

19%

Support

15%

07/16

Please indicate how you feel about the following policy: Legalizing marijuana

57%

Strongly support

22%

Support

10%

Undecided

6%

Strongly oppose

5%

Oppose

Strongly support

57%

Support

22%

Undecided

10%

Strongly oppose

6%

Oppose

5%

08/16

Please indicate how you feel about the following policy: Tightening border security

Strongly support

30%

Support

23%

Undecided

23%

Oppose

14%

Strongly oppose

10%

Strongly support

30%

Support

23%

Undecided

23%

Oppose

14%

Strongly oppose

10%

09/16

Please indicate how you feel about the following policy: Raising the minimum wage to $15/hour

66%

Strongly support

17%

Support

7%

Undecided

6%

Oppose

4%

Strongly oppose

Strongly support

66%

Support

17%

Undecided

7%

Oppose

6%

Strongly oppose

4%

10/16

Should people who are currently incarcerated be allowed to vote, no matter their crime?

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Yes

75%

No

13%

Don't know / No opinion

12%

Yes

75%

No

13%

Don't know / No opinion

12%

11/16

How much does your racial identity inform your political views in prison?

Prior research from 2002 estimated that felon disenfranchisement laws may have changed the outcomes of seven Senate races and at least one presidential election: the 2000 election. A change in these election outcomes could have enabled the Democratic Party to gain control of the Senate in the 1980s and 1990s (Manza and Uggen 2002).

Uggen, C., & Manza, J. (2002). Democratic contraction? Political consequences of felon disenfranchisement in the United States. American Sociological Review, 67(6), 777-803.

Not at all

39%

Somewhat

24%

A great deal

21%

Not sure

16%

Not at all

39%

Somewhat

24%

A great deal

21%

Not sure

16%

12/16

What impact has incarceration had on your motivation to vote?

38%

No impact

37%

Increased my motivation to vote

13%

Slightly increased my motivation to vote

8%

Decreased my motivation to vote

4%

Slightly decreased my motivation to vote

No impact

38%

Increased my motivation to vote

37%

Slightly increased my motivation to vote

13%

Decreased my motivation to vote

8%

Slightly decreased my motivation to vote

4%

13/16

Have your political views changed since being incarcerated?

No

51%

Yes

49%

No

51%

Yes

49%

14/16

If the election for president were being held today, who would you vote for?

30%

Donald Trump

27%

Don't Know / Would not vote

13%

Bernie Sanders

11%

Joe Biden

4%

Elizabeth Warren

3%

Kamala Harris

3%

Tom Steyer

2%

Pete Buttigieg

2%

Andrew Yang

2%

Amy Klobuchar

2%

Cory Booker

1%

Julian Castro

Donald Trump

30%

Don't Know / Would not vote

27%

Bernie Sanders

13%

Joe Biden

11%

Elizabeth Warren

4%

Kamala Harris

3%

Tom Steyer

3%

Pete Buttigieg

2%

Andrew Yang

2%

Amy Klobuchar

2%

Cory Booker

2%

Julian Castro

1%

15/16

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president?

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Disapprove

45%

Approve

38%

No opinion

17%

Disapprove

45%

Approve

38%

No opinion

17%

16/16

What is the highest educational level you've completed?

High school or GED or less

66%

Trade/technical/vocational training, Associate degree, college degree, or more

34%

High school or GED or less

66%

Trade/technical/vocational training, Associate degree, college degree, or more

34%

Survey data was collected by the Marshall Project and weighted by David Knight at Columbia University. For more information on how the Survey of the Incarcerated was conducted, visit the Marshall Project’s website.

themarshallproject.org