Report: Wisconsin prison numbers on the rise

Wisconsin’s prison population was up 2.3 percent in 2017, reaching a record 23,687 inmates, according to a new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum. The trend is projected to continue with another 5.7 percent growth over the next two years.

The last all-time high in the statewide inmate population came in 2007, with 23,184 prisoners. Numbers declined in the years that followed, but since 2013 admissions have outpaced releases, resulting in renewed growth.

Rising inmate numbers have increased prison costs, leading the Department of Corrections to ask for an additional $149.4 million in the 2019-21 budget. That increase would put the department’s total annual spending at $1.37 billion by 2021.

Population factors

Prison population numbers are affected by a number of factors, including admissions and releases, sentence lengths, changes in criminal penalties and the severity of offenses committed.

In Wisconsin, the rising share of inmates serving time for violent crimes also has contributed to the current population increase. In 2017, that number was 66 percent of inmates, up from 59.4 percent in 2006.

In the 1990s, prison population grew from 7,333 to more than 20,000, due in part to tougher penalties, longer sentences and fewer early releases. Growth continued at a slower rate through 2007 as the “truth in sentencing” law took effect and largely replaced traditional parole with extended supervision.

From 2008 to 2012, the inmate population declined due to a drop in admissions, despite fewer inmates being released.

» Read more from Wisconsin Policy Forum

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