Wisconsin Inmate Search

The jail system in Wisconsin comprises 19 adult institutions, 14 correctional center systems, three women's correctional institutions, and 71 county jails.

As of December 31, 2022, there were 20,873 inmates under the jurisdiction of the state's correctional authorities. The jail system had over 10,000 employees and operated on a budget of about $1.45 billion. In 2022, the incarceration rate in Wisconsin was 311 inmates per 100,000 residents.

Wisconsin Inmate SearchPrison in Wisconsin
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According to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, the state's correctional system includes 19 adult institutions, 14 correctional centers, 3 women's facilities, and 71 county jails. The system houses approximately 20,873 inmates, employs over 10,000 staff, and operates on a budget of $1.45 billion, with an incarceration rate of 311 per 100,000 residents.

Wisconsin Department Corrections Inmate Search

Correctional institutions in Wisconsin operate under the oversight of the state Department of Corrections. The Department works to protect the general public via the constructive management of inmates under its authority.

The Wisconsin DOC maintains an online database of persons incarcerated within its facilities. This database is searchable via the DOC's inmate and offender search tool.

User

Find Inmate by Name

The Wisconsin inmate and offender search tool on the Wisconsin Department of Corrections website allows you to find an inmate by name. On the homepage of the web search, provide the name of the inmate and click on the search button on the bottom right-hand corner of the page. If you provide the last and first names of the inmate, you may narrow the search results to find the inmate information quickly. However, you may still perform a search if only one of the names of the inmate is known.

User

Find Inmate by Number

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections inmate and offender search tool allows users to find inmates other than by name. If you know the DOC identification number of an inmate, you can find that inmate by providing the ID number in the DOC identification number field of the inmate and offender search tool.

What Information is Contained in a Wisconsin Inmate Record?

A Wisconsin inmate record as provided via a search tool provides the following information:

  • DOC ID Number: The Wisconsin DOC-issued number used to identify the inmate.
  • Mugshot: The official image of the inmate
  • Demographic Information of the Inmate
    Name, aliases, birth year, age, sex, race, ethnicity, weight, eye color, hair color, dexterity, height, and weight.
  • Inmate Status: This information provides information on whether the individual is under active community supervision or no longer under DOC supervision
  • Region unit office: The regional office is responsible for managing the community supervision of the inmate.
  • Region unit agent: The name of the assigned supervising officer or agent from the region unit office
  • Maximum discharge date: The latest date by which the inmate must be fully discharged from any form of custody or supervision, marking the official end of their sentence
  • Mandatory release /extended supervision date: The date on which the inmate must be released due to statutory requirements
  • Parole eligibility date: The earliest date the inmate may be considered for parole.
  • Address of the institution: The physical address of the holding facility
  • Movement: Details and date of the transfer of the inmate between correctional institutions
  • Court case Information: information about the cases for which the inmate was convicted
  • Photos: Photographs of the inmates from multiple sides and angles

Wisconsin Inmate Records by Counties

Several counties in Wisconsin provide access to their inmate log. If the inmate whose record you want is held in a county jail, then the inmate's record will also be maintained by the county sheriff's office. To find the inmate record, you must first determine which county jail holds the inmate. Once you determine that, you may visit the website of the county sheriff to see if online access to inmate records is available. Douglas, Brown, and Milwaukee County Sheriff's offices are some local jurisdictions providing inmate locator search tools for users to find inmate records.

Are Incarceration Records Public Information in Wisconsin?

The Open Records Law in Wisconsin provides the basis for public access to incarceration records in the state. This law aims to allow members of the public to inspect or copy the records of government operations and decisions.

According to the Open Records Law, government records must be made public by the official custodians of the record. Hence, the Wisconsin Department of Correction offers incarcerated records to requesters as a public service and in the interest of public safety. The records provided to the public include the information of convicted offenders sentenced to incarceration, supervision, or both with the DOC.

Note that some parts of incarceration records may be redacted. Also, entire records may be made inaccessible to the public. If a record has been expunged or sealed according to a court order, the whole record will be inaccessible to the court. Portions of incarceration records containing sensitive information such as medical information and Social Security numbers may also be redacted.

Federal Prisons in Wisconsin

The federal correctional institution located in Oxford (County Road G & Elk Avenue) is the only federal prison in Wisconsin. It is a low-security institution and has a population of 1,161 inmates. This institution caters to male offenders and is administered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Frequently Asked Questions about Inmate Records

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections is committed to openness and transparency, which includes fulfilling its obligations under Wisconsin's public records law. While exemptions exist for certain records, state law makes a presumption of public access.

To request a Department of Corrections public record in Wisconsin, you may submit a public record request via the Wisconsin DOC public records request portal . Note that certain fees apply depending on the form of the record requested.

The Wisconsin inmate and offender search tool allows the general public to perform an online lookup for an individual incarcerated in Wisconsin state prisons. The tool allows users to perform a search using the inmate's DOC ID Number, name, and address. The WI VINE County Jails is also an online tool that may be used to access inmate information for persons held in local county jails in Wisconsin.

To access old inmate records in Wisconsin, contact the correctional institution where the inmate was incarcerated to make a public record request to the Wisconsin Department of Corrections .

The Wisconsin Office of Vital Statistics is the official custodian of death records in the state. The Office receives a notification of the death of an inmate upon the demise of the individual. Hence, to obtain an inmate's death record, submit a request to the Wisconsin Office of Vital Statistics .

No specific period is stipulated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections for inmates' information to be published in the Wisconsin inmate locator. However, inmate information is typically published on the state portal between 24-28 hours upon the arrival of the offender in the correctional facility.

Like several states in the United States, Wisconsin approves the use of Access Corrections Secure Deposit to send funds to inmates in its correctional facilities. Access Corrections accepts deposits via phone, mail, online, or at a walk-in facility. Note that walk-in locations are pegged at a daily limit of $2,900.

To send funds using US Postal Services, send a completed Wisconsin DOC money order or check deposit slip (made payable to Access Secure Deposits) with the inmate's DOC number written on it to:

Secure Deposits
Wisconsin DOC
P.O. Box 12486
St. Louis, MO 63132

If you prefer a walk-in service, visit any of Access Corrections' affiliate walk-in provider (CashPayToday) locations to complete a transaction. Note that service fees apply and only cash is accepted. Alternatively, call CashPayToday at (844) 340-2274.

To send money online using Access Corrections services, visit the vendor's website or call (866) 345-1884. VISA and MasterCard debit and credit cards are accepted.