Wisconsin Inmate Search

How Are Inmate Records in Wisconsin Created and Stored?

Wisconsin inmate records are created by different types of law enforcement from federal agents to local police. The process begins when someone is arrested. The arresting officer fills out a RAP sheet to enter the suspect into the system. This form includes the offender’s name, address, phone number, mugshots, and details of his or her crime. Then they are held in jail until a hearing. After that, if they are sentenced to prison or attend any court proceedings, everything is entered in the file. The State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections is the government agency in charge of keeping, storing, and maintaining inmate records. They keep them online in a database and searchable so that the public can perform an inmate search at any time of day or night.

What Does Wisconsin’s Prison System Look Like?

The Wisconsin prison system is quite simple with a few state prisons, facilities for youth offenders and local county jails. All state-run facilities and programs are overseen and managed by the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections. The entire Wisconsin prison system is comprised of the following:

Types of Jails and Prisons in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has only a few limited types of prisons and correctional facilities. They do have a good number of state prisons managed and overseen by the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections and Secretary, Kevin A. Carr. State prisons hold felons guilty of breaking state laws. Then the federal government has one federal prison in Wisconsin, and that is managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The state has five juvenile detention centers that house youth offenders up to 18 years old. Wisconsin has various local county jails holding pretrial detainees and recently arrested individuals. These jails are managed by local law enforcement.

How Many People are Locked up in Wisconsin?

Wisconsin’s prison system holds 23,377 residents in various kinds of correctional facilities, from which 23,135 residents are held in state prisons, 18 in federal prisons, 37 in juvenile correctional facilities, and 187 in local jails.

Wisconsin State Prisons

The state of Wisconsin has thirty-six state prisons. Each one has a different focus. Some are geared towards treatment, and others secure confinement. Three of them are for women prisoners only. Each has units with differing levels of custody. All state-run facilities are managed and overseen by the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections. The list of state prisons in Wisconsin includes:

• Chippewa Valley Correctional Treatment Facility.
• Columbia Correctional Institution.
• Dodge Correctional Institution.
• Fox Lake Correctional Institution.
• Green Bay Correctional Institution.
• Jackson Correctional Institution.
• Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution.
• Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility.
• New Lisbon Correctional Institution.
• Oakhill Correctional Institution.
• Oshkosh Correctional Institution.
• Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution.
• Racine Correctional Institution.
• Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility.
• Redgranite Correctional Institution.
• Stanley Correctional Institution.
• Sturtevant Transitional Facility.
• Waupun Correctional Institution.
• Wisconsin Secure Program Facility.
• Black River Correctional Center.
• Drug Abuse Correctional Center.
• Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center.
• Flambeau Correctional Center.
• Gordon Correctional Center.
• John C. Burke Correctional Center.
• Kenosha Correctional Center.
• Marshall E. Sherrer Correctional Center.
• McNaughton Correctional Center.
• Oregon Correctional Center.
• Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center.
• St. Croix Correctional Center.
• Thompson Correctional Center.
• Winnebago Correctional Center.
• Taycheedah Correctional Institution.
• Milwaukee Women’s Correctional Center.
• Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center.

Wisconsin Federal Prisons

Wisconsin also has one federal prison for holding federal inmates who have broken federal laws inside the state. All federal prisons are managed and overseen by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FOB). They have a helpful website with lots of information about their facilities, their rules, and the inmates. The list of federal prisons in Wisconsin include:

• Oxford FCI - A medium-security federal correctional institution with an adjacent minimum-security satellite camp housing 974 male inmates.

Wisconsin County Jails

The state of Wisconsin has 72 counties. Many of them have local jails managed by police or Sheriff’s Offices. These county jails are where suspects are taken and held until his or her hearing or trial. In some cases, they hold inmates who have been sentenced to short stays in jail instead of prison. Most often jails hold pretrial detainees.

Wisconsin Juvenile Detention Centers

Wisconsin has five juvenile detention centers that house its youth offenders. All of these facilities are run by the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections and the Division of Juvenile Corrections. Their mission states: “The mission of DJC is to promote a juvenile justice system that balances protection of the community, youth accountability, and competency building for responsible and productive community living.” The list of juvenile detention centers in Wisconsin includes:

• Copper Lake School.
• Lincoln Hills School.
• Grow Academy.
• Northwest Regional Offices.
• Southeast Regional Office.

Why are People Incarcerated in Wisconsin?

About 41,000 people are incarcerated in the state of Wisconsin. Of that total, more than half (27,000) are in state prison, 13,000 reside in local jails, 2,200 are in federal prison, 760 are in youth detention, another 30 are in Indian Country facilities, and 580 are in mental institutions receiving treatment. About 67% of inmates in Wisconsin have been convicted of a violent offense. Another 13% committed property crimes, 11% are in prison due to drug charges, and 9% because of public disorderly conduct.

Wisconsin’s Incarceration Rate and Statistics

Wisconsin’s incarceration rate for year-end 2016 under state prison or local jail jurisdiction per 100,000 population was 383, which is lower than an average incarceration rate by 15%. The number of Wisconsin prisoners at the year-end of 2016 was 23,377, from which 6% were female prisoners, whereas the number of male prisoners was 21,889 in 2016.

Where Do Wisconsin Inmates Go When They are Released?

Wisconsin has thirty-six correctional facilities, and one of them is specially designed as a low-risk, low-security transitional facility. This unit helps offenders gain the skills and confidence they need before being released so that the state can eliminate recidivism and protect the safety of the community. Other prison inmates who do not transition out this way will simply go back home to family and friends.

How Does Parole Work in Wisconsin?

Parole is a supervisory program in Wisconsin that works when the parole board feels that an inmate has served enough time and no longer poses a threat to society. They are released early but with specific stipulations like regular check-ins with a parole officer and other items. If the inmate violates any of the terms of his or her parole, they will be returned to prison.

Parole Population

How Does Someone Get Probation in Wisconsin?

Sometimes a judge in Wisconsin will order probation instead of a prison sentence upon conviction. This happens most often with low-risk and first-time offenders. Probation is also a supervisory program, and the probationer must follow strict rules. If they fail to check-in with their probation officer or violate any of the other court-ordered rules, they will go to prison.

Probation Statistics