Wisconsin Inmate Search

Those guilty of violating Wisconsin state and local laws are sentenced to serve time in state prisons or county jails. Those waiting for conviction are held at Federal prison or camp. Suppose you would like to gather information on an inmate being held at any of the mentioned facilities. You can achieve it in several ways depending on which facility they are held at.  

How to Locate an Inmate in Wisconsin 

You could search for inmates currently incarcerated in Wisconsin prisons, city jails, or county jails via the WIDOC inmate & offender search tool. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (WIDOC) is responsible for maintaining an elaborate inmate database that is updated each end of the week for the information to be made public. Below is a step to step procedure for attaining inmate data via the WIDOC inmate & offender search tool.  

1. Visit the WIDOC website and click the offender information provision and navigation menu. You will then be directed to a new page where you will click on "Adult Facilities" and then "General Information." 
2. Select the inmate locator tool. Ensure to read the disclaimer carefully and agree before proceeding to the next step.  
3. Provide the required inmate data, for instance, their names, and click the search button at the bottom of the page.   
4. Inmate rosters on several inmates whose data is almost similar to the one you provided will be listed on the screen.  
5. Go through the list provided and click on the name of the inmate you were interested in. more detailed search results about the inmate will be displayed to you. You will see their photo, name, status, and demographics.  

How to Locate an Inmate in Federal Custody 

As stated earlier, The Wisconsin Department of Corrections uses federal prisons or camps for inmates yet to be convicted. If you suspect someone close to you may be held in Wisconsin's Federal prison or camp, consider using the below-illustrated steps to get such information.  

1. Visit the Federal Bureau of Prisons website and go through the inmate tab.  
2. Click on the "Find an Inmate" button and provide the necessary details, including the inmate's first, middle, and last names, race, age, and sex.  
3. Click on the search button and wait for the response.  
4. Results will be displayed on the screen, including the inmate's full name, registration number, age, race, sex, release date, and current location.  

Additional information, such as the whereabouts of persons detained and waiting for a pre-trial, those held as material witnesses, and civil contempt, can also be found on the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.  

How to Locate an Inmate Using the VINELink 

You can conduct an offender lookup via the VINELink. VINELink is a privileged victim notification system that provides essential information about ongoing criminal cases and offenders in the custody of Wisconsin Department of Correction facilities. The link can be used to conduct an inmate search on yourself or an inmate you may be interested in. 

Below is a procedure for searching for inmates using the VINELink. 

1. To access any inmate data on the VINELink, you must be a registered member; therefore, make sure you begin by registering.  
2. Select the registration column, choose the registration method, and provide the required information.  
3. Click the register button before proceeding with the inmate search.  

For those who are already registered members follow the steps below 

1. Visit www.vinelink.com and select the state; in this case, its Wisconsin. 
2. Provide the inmate's ID number or last name. The first initial for their first name could also go a long way in finding accurate results for you.  
3. Click on the search button.  

Wisconsin Inmate Roster 

Wisconsin Inmate Rosters are individual criminal records whose contents include their biodata, crimes, and where they are currently being detained. It is the responsibility of all correctional facilities under the management of WIDOC to keep, update and disseminate such inmate data.  

The US government considers criminal inmate rosters public records. Therefore, anybody interested in such information can easily access it through a government agency or third-party organizations and other non-governmental websites. 

About the State Department of Corrections  

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections is a government agency responsible for all corrections, community supervision, and state prisons in Wisconsin. The department oversees the functioning of 41 correctional facilities. As of June 2022, the total population of inmates in the Wisconsin Department of Correction facilities was 69,959.  

There are four divisions of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, and they include: 

• Division of Adult Institutions 
• Division of Community Corrections 
• Division of Juvenile Corrections 
• Division of Management Services