Addiction is not a crime, but it is often treated as one. Up to 69 percent of the prison population as recently as 2016 had a substance abuse need. This was before the peak of the ongoing opioid epidemic. Of that 69%, nearly two thirds were considered to have a high risk of reoffending. It will be critical to address the root causes of drug offenses if we ever hope to reduce our prison population.

https://doc.wi.gov/DataResearch/DataAndReports/DrugOffenderPrisonAdmissions2000to2016.pdf