The study found disparity between three types of statistics: official prison censuses, Department of Interior figures, and court records. There are some clear findings, however. Foreigners account for barely 6 percent of the total population of France, but one out of every four inmates is a foreigner. One reason for this is the dramatic rise in illegal immigration arrests stemming from a change in immigration policy. In France, the battle against illegal immigration has become a top government priority and has escalated as forces of the extreme right have focused their attacks on foreigners. Despite restrictions and the threat of prison, however, illegal immigrants continue to pour across the borders from overpopulated and economically underdeveloped countries, mostly in northern Africa. Another factor in the disproportionate imprisonment of foreigners is the fact that foreigners tend to be arrested for offenses that traditionally receive prison terms, i.e., thefts and violent offenses. 47 tables, 7 figures, and 12 references