Execute a Free Wisconsin Inmate Search: Charges & Sentencing

Conduct a free Wisconsin inmate search without stress or hassle using the links and instructions outlined in this resource.

Inmates are those incarcerated in local jails or a state or federal prison. Searchable inmate databases enable interested parties to find details on them, no matter which type of facility they’re in.

This streamlined resource explores county jail offender databases and state or federal-level record custodians, helping people find the information they need about current inmates held in any facility in Wisconsin.

Contrast Between Prison Inmates & Jail Inmates

An inmate may be held in a county jail or a state or federal prison. County jails are typically run by the local sheriff’s office, while state prisons are run by the Department of Corrections and federal facilities are managed by the Bureau of Prisons.

Which facility an inmate spends time in depends on the type of crime they’re convicted of and, often, the length of their sentence. Inmates who committed a state or federal-level crime will spend time in the relevant prison, while most other crimes see people committed as jail inmates.

Knowing what sort of crime a person committed and where they were convicted is helpful when performing an inmate search.

How To View Information on Someone Held in a Wisconsin Jail

There are 76 jails in Wisconsin’s 72 counties.¹ As of December, 2020, the state had 13,650 inmates in its jails.² Each jail maintains its own inmate records.

To perform a free inmate lookup for someone in a county jail, check their website for an inmate list.

For example, the Price County Sheriff’s Office provides an alphabetized inmate list.³ Inmates are sorted by surname. To find an inmate, select the relevant section of the list from the links on the left-hand side of the page.

The Sheriff’s Office can also be contacted at the following address:

Price County Sheriff’s Office
164 Cherry Street
Phillips, WI 54555

Phone: 715-339-3011

The list shows one inmate at a time and users can click the forward or back arrows to look through the list and see pictures and names of inmates.

If the name of the inmate is known, users can enter that into the search box above the inmate list and click the magnifying glass icon to perform a search. If the person is currently an inmate, their name will appear in the search results.

However, clicking on the link in the search results will not take the searcher directly to the relevant result. The searcher will have to page through the result list to find the relevant listing.

In most cases, inmates arrested by city law enforcement will be taken to the nearest county jail, rather than held in a city cell. However, there are some exceptions. For example, people arrested in Kenosha may be held in the City Jail, which provides an Inmate Inquiry page to help people find current or former inmates by their name, booking number and booking date.^{4, 5}

Partial searches are possible. For example, entering a common surname in the Name field will bring up any person with that surname. The results table includes a photograph of the inmate, their current custody status, race, gender, height, weight and whether they’re subject to multiple bookings.

The Kenosha City Jail can also be contacted at the following address:

Kenosha City Jail
927 54th St,
Kenosha, WI 53140

Phone: 262-605-5111

How To Perform a Wisconsin Inmate Search in State Prisons

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections runs the state’s 18 prisons.⁶ Those who are interested in locating an inmate can search using the Department of Corrections’ (DOC) offender locator. This inmate search tool is free to use, and the search process is streamlined:

• Select DOC Offender Locator to start a search (no registration is required)
• Agree to the terms and conditions
• Enter the name of the first name and last name of the offender
• If known, provide their offender number

A list of offenders matching those details will be provided, along with information about which facility they’re located in and their booking details.

The Department of Corrections can be contacted at the following address:

Wisconsin Department of Corrections
3099 East Washington Ave.,
Madison, WI 53704

Telephone: 608-240-5000

The DOC also provides a wealth of resources for the loved ones of inmates and for victims of crime, to ensure everyone affected gets the support they need. Some useful resources include:

• A list of adult correctional facilities in the state of Wisconsin
• Information about the incarceration lifecycle
• Visitation information, including in-person and video visitation⁸
• Information about sending money or items to inmates in state prisons
• Support for victims of crime from the Office of Victim Services & Programs⁹
• Parole information

Another useful resource for victims of crime who are concerned about the whereabouts of a Wisconsin inmate is VINELink. This nationwide service keeps victims informed about the status of an offender by notifying them about scheduled parole hearings, transfers, release dates and other relevant information.

How To See Who Is in Federal Prison

Inmates who were convicted of a federal-level crime may serve time in a federal prison. Information about federal inmates can be found on the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) website using their Find an Inmate Tool.

This tool supports searching by several parameters, including:

• Various Offender IDs (e.g. FBI Number)
• First, Middle & Last Name
• Race
• Sex
• Age

The tool will show up to 100 results from a single search and includes all federal inmates who have been jailed since 1982. Searchers who would like to find an inmate jailed before that date may need to look for other resources.

Because the tool includes historic records and can return only 100 results at a time, it’s a good idea to try to include as much information as possible before trying a Wisconsin inmate lookup, especially if the inmate has a very common name.

Other useful search tools for people seeking information about offenders include the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) court search tool, and the records of the National Archives.¹⁰ Inmates who were jailed before 1982 may be listed in digitized records available at the National Archives, which includes records of penitentiaries dating back to the 1800s.

PACER includes both current and historic court records. Users can search by case number, filter by the names of the parties involved in the case, or look up records for a specific court if it’s known where the trial was held.

Unlike other resources mentioned here, PACER requires searchers to register, and there’s a nominal fee per page of records accessed. However, users will not be billed unless they accrue a certain amount of charges per quarter.

Individuals who cannot afford PACER fees can request a fee exemption from a specific court.¹¹ The procedure for doing this varies between courts, but indigent individuals and unrepresented litigants may be eligible for assistance.

The resources provided above help interested parties perform a Wisconsin inmate search for free, and are open to anyone who requires the information for their own personal, responsible use.