By the numbers
About two-thirds of inmates in Wisconsin prisons are incarcerated because of violent crimes — and violent criminals make up an increasing share of the state’s inmates, figures from the Wisconsin Department of Corrections show.
As of the first day of 2026, 15,731 of Wisconsin’s prison inmates, or 67.7 percent, were serving sentences for violent crimes. That was up from 11,477 inmates, or 56.9 percent, in 2001.
Violent crimes include, among others, murder, rape, assault and domestic violence.
Property crimes and drug crimes, on the other hand, account for diminishing shares of the state’s inmates.
Criminals convicted of property crimes were 1,925, or 8.3 percent, of the state’s inmates in 2026, down from 4,661, or 23.1 percent at the beginning of 2001.
Such offenses include burglary, car theft, arson and fraud.
Drug offenders made up 2,602, or 11.2 percent, of inmates as 2026 began, down from 2,783, or 13.8 percent, in 2001.
Such offenses include both trafficking and possession. The state’s inmate population dashboards do not distinguish between the two types of offenders. What is known is that the idea the prisons are filled with inmates imprisoned for possessing marijuana is a myth: The Badger Institute has reported previously that incarcerations for simple possession of cannabis have been in the low single digits for years as many counties have essentially decriminalized the drug.
The number of inmates sentenced for the remaining category, public order offenses, has risen over time, constituting 2,965 inmates, or 12.8 percent of the total, as of the first day of 2026. That’s up from 1,263, or 6.3 percent in 2001.
The category includes weapons offenses, intoxicated driving, parole violations and bribery, among others.
A small number of inmates — about 0.1 percent in 2026 — don’t fit into any of the categories. The state’s prisons held, in total, 23,254 inmates at 2026’s outset, up about 15 percent from 2021’s figure of 20,243.
Any use or reproduction of Badger Institute articles or photographs requires prior written permission. To request permission to post articles on a website or print copies for distribution, contact Badger Institute Marketing Director Matt Erdman at matt@badgerinstitute.org.
