Refuting claims that prisons are filled with nonviolent, first time drug offenders, a study of Wisconsin's urban prison population shows that typical prisoners are violent criminals with long records who pose a threat to public safety.

A representative sample of Wisconsin Department of Corrections inmate files, including information on juvenile criminal activity, was used to create a profile of the criminal activity of inmates in Milwaukee County. It showed:

• Three of four inmates were in prison for committing a violent crime.

• Most inmates in prison for a nonviolent crime had previously committed a violent crime.

• About 91 percent of inmates were either serving time for a violent crime or had previously been convicted of a violent crime.

The study found that drug and property offenders showed a pattern of recidivism, probation or parole violations and prior violent crime.

• None of the inmates was in prison solely for possession of an illegal drug and just 7 percent were in prison for drug trafficking offenses.

• Only 17 percent were in prison for property crimes (burglary, theft, forgery and arson) or other crimes such as prison escape and illegal firearms possession.

• Nine of 10 inmates had a prior adult or juvenile conviction.

• About 41 percent committed their most recent crime while on probation or parole, and 77 percent had violated terms of a prior probation or parole.

The majority of inmates had a documented juvenile crime record, and among first offenders 87.5 percent were imprisoned for a violent crime.

Source: John J. DiIulio Jr. and George A. Mitchell, "Who Really Goes to Prison in Wisconsin? A Profile of Urban Inmates in Wisconsin Prisons," Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Report, Vol. 9, No. 4, April 1996, Wisconsin Public Policy Institute, 3107 N. Shepard Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53211, (414) 963-0600.