Two very different perspectives on mass incarceration and views thereon

I came across two notable and very different pieces setting forth very different perspectives on modern incarceration policies and practices.  Both merit review, and here is a brief accounting:

First, from The Heritage Foundation, Zach Smith has authored “The Myth of Mass Incarceration Remains Strong — Despite All Evidence to the Contrary.”   Here is how it starts and concludes:

Jeffrey Bellin’s new book is based on a myth. He believes — wrongly — that the United States is addicted to putting people in prison who don’t need to be there — hence the title of his book, Mass Incarceration Nation.  Despite his best efforts to portray his book as a nuanced account of the current state of the U.S. criminal justice system and its supposed ills, it’s actually an ideologically driven tome with a pre-determined conclusion: the states and the federal government lock up too many people….

Ask anyone on the street the following simple question: Should someone who commits premeditated first-degree murder be sent to prison?  Almost to a man or woman, each person asked will say, “Yes, of course!”  You will get the same answer if you ask them what should happen to rapists, robbers, and recidivists.  People convicted of these crimes are the individuals who today overwhelmingly fill state and federal prisons in the United States.  Yet these are the very individuals Bellin would release from prison to achieve his decarceration goals.  Maybe that’s the point.  He seems to say that the public shouldn’t have a say in how we punish certain crimes.  But that can’t be the way a democratic society operates.  It certainly seems obvious that where there is crime, there must also be punishment.  If not, more crime and more victims will be the inevitable result.

Second, FWD.us has a “poll memo” titled “New Polling Demonstrates Ongoing Support for Criminal Justice Reform and Policies to Reduce Incarceration.”  Here is how the memo starts are a few additional reported poll findings:

Recent polling, conducted by BSG on behalf of FWD.us, underscores a significant and unwavering level of support for criminal justice reform among the American public. The data reveals not only high levels of support but also strong backing for candidates who advocate for policies aimed at reducing incarceration rates.

According to the poll, 78% of likely voters (LVs) support criminal justice reform, including 2 in 3 Republicans, 87% of Democrats and 82% of Independents. Across demographics there is strong support for reducing prison and jail populations, with particularly strong support among Democrats and Black voters. The poll also shows this support is largely unchanged from 2022, demonstrating that voters continue to want their elected officials to build on the progress that has been made to reform the criminal justice system.

The survey aimed to measure public perception of the functionality of the criminal justice system, attitudes toward candidates supporting policies to decrease incarceration rates, and public sentiment regarding crime. There is overwhelming support for many specific policy changes such as sentencing reforms, parole reforms, and the First Step Act….

Nearly two-thirds believe it is important to reduce the jail and prison population in the U.S., including half of Republicans and large majorities of Americans of color, particularly Black Democrats….  Voters are much more likely to say that mass incarceration makes communities less safe than they are to say that we are safer with more people locked up…. Nearly 2 in 3 voters believe that mass incarceration contributes to social problems, as opposed to only 1 in 17 who believe that locking more people up alleviates issues of homelessness, drug use, and overdoses.