A new report specifically focused on analyzing hate crime statistics from the Office of Justice Assistance released Wednesday found that over half of all hate crimes committed in Wisconsin in 2008 were motivated by racial prejudice.
Prior to 2008, the OJA included hate crimes in their general annual report on crime in Wisconsin, making this the first report of its kind from the OJA.
Racial bias accounted for 59 percent of the 99 incidents classified as hate crimes, with the majority of those crimes motivated by anti-black prejudice.
The next most frequent hate crimes were committed for reasons of bias against sexuality at 21 percent, religion at 9 percent, ethnicity at 8 percent, and disability at 2 percent.
Seventy-five percent of hate crimes in the state were committed against individuals, and simple assault and vandalism were the most prevalent forms of crime, at 33 and 14 percent, respectively.
