Recidivism
Reducing recidivism is a vital part of the mission of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (WI DOC). Offenders may participate in treatment and programming under WI DOC custody, but it is in the community where they put into practice what they have learned. Fewer crimes means fewer victims and safer neighborhoods. An accurate understanding of recidivism allows WI DOC to begin to examine who is at a greater risk for re-offending, and ultimately to shift resources to focus on those offenders.
WI DOC release from prison recidivism is measured in
three ways:
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Rearrest: following an episode of incarceration with the WI DOC, to be arrested in Wisconsin for a new criminal offense.
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Reconviction: following an episode of incarceration with the WI DOC, to commit a criminal offense that results in a new sentence to either prison or probation. Recidivism reports prior to 2021 used this reconviction measure as the only measure of recidivism.
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Reincarceration: following an episode of incarceration with the WI DOC, to be admitted to a Wisconsin prison for either a revocation, a revocation with a new sentence, or a new sentence.
The date an individual becomes a recidivist varies between the three measures; rearrest and reconviction use the
date the offense occurred as the date of the recidivism event, while reincarceration uses the
prison admission date.
Release from Prison Recidivism Dashboards
The Recidivism interactive dashboards allow users to examine trends in recidivism and recidivism rates by release year, gender, age at release, race, first WI prison admission, length of prison stay, original offense type, and region of release for all three measures of recidivism: rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration. For those individuals who recidivate within either a one-, two-, or three-year follow-up period, the dashboards also include data on the length of time between release and the recidivism event (as defined by each respective measure of recidivism).
Release from Prison Recidivism Dashboards
Release from Prison Recidivism Report
The recidivism report below provides recidivism rate trends and recidivism rates by gender, age at release, race, length of prison stay, and original offense type for all three measures of recidivism. For those offenders who are recidivists, the report also includes data on the length of time between release and the recidivism event (as defined by each respective measure of recidivism), as well as data on those offenders who were rearrested or reconvicted for the same offense type for which they were originally incarcerated.
Recidivism after Release from Prison Report (August 2021)
Primary Programs Report
The Primary Programs Report produced by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) Research and Policy Unit and the Division of Adult Institutions (DAI) Office of Program Services provides the results of an outcome evaluation of all DAI primary treatment and education programs assigned upon intake to DAI.
Primary Programs Report (March 2022)