Confinement patterns in the Milwaukee County House of Correction: 1907–1965

Abstract

This study examined the patterns of confinement within the Milwaukee County House of Correction for a sixty year period. The data represent summary statistics from annual reports for the years 1907 to 1965. The variables explored were: age, race, term of commitment, ethnicity, previous commitment, offense, and admissions to the House of Correction. The results indicated changes in the inmate population over time, with increases in the number of inmates, a trend toward older inmates, trends in both shorter and longer sentences, increases in the percentage of inmates committed for drunkenness, and increases in the percentage of nonwhites. Finally, the data revealed a sharp decrease in the number of foreign born commitments with a corresponding increase in the number of black inmates.