Try the political quiz
@ISIDEWITHQuestionsCriminal IssuesStarted 9yrs agoActive 2yrs ago

Should non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?

Prison overcrowding is a social phenomenon occurring when the demand for space in prisons in a jurisdiction exceeds the capacity for prisoners.The issues associated with prison overcrowding are not new, and have been brewing for many years. During the United States’ War on Drugs, the states were left responsible for solving the prison overcrowding issue with a limited amount of money. Moreover, federal prison populations may increase if states adhere to federal policies, such as mandatory minimum sentences. On the other hand, the Justice Department provides billions of dollars a year…  

Read more
+
Expand
+ Settings

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

Answer Overview

Response rates from 291k Canada voters.

52%
Yes
48%
No
28%
Yes
38%
No
14%
Yes, but they must perform community service on a daily basis
7%
No, but we should increase funding to offer education and skill building services for prisoners
11%
Yes, but place them under house arrest using an electronic bracelet
1%
No, we should build more prisons
1%
No, transfer them to under crowded prisons instead

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 291k Canada voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 291k Canada voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Other Popular Answers

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

 @B26GVFPfrom British Columbia  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, but rehabilitation and community programs should be given to create a seamless transition for prisoners into the every day life.

 @BDY9FXJfrom Ontario  answered…2wks2W

Yes, but only if it can be verified they had not pled down from a violent charge and have passed through rigorous testing to make sure they will not re-offend.

 @BDK9BLVfrom Ontario  answered…1mo1MO

It depends on the severity of their crime and the risk they pose to society.

 @BB7PTLQfrom British Columbia  answered…4mos4MO

I feel if they are non-violent they should be given another chance into the world depending on what they did, like obviously if they killed someone then no but if they just stole something from a store or did a bank robbery then yeah sure.

 @B9PF34Rfrom Ontario  answered…5mos5MO

Yes but they should be monitored closely, be required to do community service and if they mess or reoffend they’re sent back

 @B9GGR9Wfrom British Columbia  answered…5mos5MO

Yes, and if some people last 10 years still free from jail, those people should automatically get pardoned, except for murderers and terrorists,

 @B9GGR9Wfrom British Columbia  answered…5mos5MO

No, but if they last 10 years out of jail, some people should automatically get pardoned regardless of their crimes, true freedom of speech if you ask me

 @B98ZNXWfrom British Columbia  answered…6mos6MO

Yes only for people with disabilities, electronic bracelets and house arrest to avoid any unacceptable situations

Popular Conversations

Join in on the most popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITHDiscuss this answer...…2yrs2Y

Should the government incentivize the construction of affordable housing?

Yes

▲  2.7k3 replies2 agree

About This Data

Based on 291k 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 non-violent prisoners be released from jail in order to reduce overcrowding?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://canada.isidewith.com/polls/3021337207

Embed The Live Result

Preview