New York voters have turned against bail reform, new poll says
(excerpt from New York Post - Jan 21 2020)
New Yorkers have turned against bail reform.
Support for the new law eliminating cash bail for most misdemeanor and some “non-violent” felony crimes has plummeted, and now 49 percent of New York State voters say the new policy is “bad” for New York compared to 37 percent who say it’s “good,” a new poll released Tuesday reveals.
That’s a stark turnaround from last April, when 55 percent of residents backed the law while only 38 percent were opposed, the Siena College survey found.
Opposition to the law has spiked amid stories that career criminals have been let loose to strike again because of the ban on cash bail.
“Certainly, all the attention this new law has gotten across the state has had an impact with voters and it is clear that a sizeable number of New Yorkers, who were optimistic that the new bail law would be good for the state, now believe the law is bad for New York,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.
Support dropped and opposition grew across the board, particularly among older voters, independents and suburbanites.
Last April, 53 percent of voters aged 55 and over endorsed bail reform. Now 57 percent of older voters say it’s bad for New York – a swing of more than 20 percentage points.
Last year, 60 percent of independents or unaffiliated voters backed eliminating cash bail. But now only 29 percent back the law while 56 percent are opposed – a swing of more than 30 percentage points.
A majority of Democrats still support the law, but that support has lessened.
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