Free Wisconsin Parole Search: Look Up Records

Carry out a free Wisconsin parole search today using this brief resource.

Most states recognize two distinct types of court-supervised offenders: probationers, whose sentences are an alternative to jail time, and parolees, who are on a supervised early release from prison. Typically, parole is associated with more serious offenders, and identifying them — in particular violators of parole — can be crucial for public safety.

This resource strives to make public records more accessible for citizens in Wisconsin; it provides an array of the best free methods of seeking out both parolees and probationers throughout the state.

How To Execute a Free Wisconsin Parole Search

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) provides a versatile online tool for executing a parole search.¹ Those who need or want an alternative or supplement to the online search may be able to contact the state’s probation and parole offices.

The DOC’s Offender Search Tool can be utilized with no more information than a last or first name (or both) or an inmate number. The name searches can also include aliases or a middle initial, and a search can be further refined with race, gender, birth year and address information. It’s even possible to look up individuals within an age range or a range between two ZIP codes.

The search results can bring up an even broader range of information under a series of tabs, including:

Demographics: This covers birth year and age, sex and race, ethnicity, height and weight, eye and hair color and even “dexterity” (dominant hand).

Status: This refers to either incarcerated or under “active community supervision,” which refers to parole or probation. An individual’s status also includes which institution they’re in, if they’re an inmate, and a unit office number and contact information for their parole or probation officer or for the facility where they’re incarcerated. A “sub-status” field may include further details.

Finally, it includes either projected discharge dates or parole eligibility dates for inmates.

Addresses: Any reported residences for the offender.

Movement: A truly staggering amount of detail about the offender’s movements between facilities and various types of custody or supervision can be captured here.

Court Cases: Detailed summaries of court cases involving the offender may be available on this tab — in some cases going back decades — supplemented by links to court records provided by the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Case Search Tool.²

Photo Set: Records typically include a complete set of recent mug shots for the offender.

The complete information can be displayed in printer-friendly form, as is basic information with a photo and the information on demographics. All in all, it’s a comprehensive tool for general public use.

Of course, if a searcher needs to work forward from a court case record, the Case Search Tool mentioned above offered by the Wisconsin Circuit Court can provide information about which cases led to convictions and possibly to an inmate being eligible for parole.³

In some cases, this search tool — searchable by name, birth date, business name and case number — can be the first step before seeking out the more comprehensive data available through the offender search tool detailed above.

Meanwhile, for members of the public looking to confirm details from this offender search or to seek information where the online database seems ambiguous or incomplete — which can happen — the best alternative resource is the DOC’s Probation & Parole offices.

There are hundreds of unit offices spread out across the state of Wisconsin, but fortunately, the directory of these offices is searchable by county or text string, making it easy to narrow searches down to specific areas. It’s even possible to take unit office number data from the online offender search and plug it into this page to find a particular parole or probation officer.

The state of Wisconsin also endorses the use of VINELink as an information search tool for victims of crime and uses this as an avenue to keep victims informed of updates, such as changes to the state’s Sex Offender Registry.⁴

This is considered one of the DOC’s responsibilities under Wisconsin’s Truth in Sentencing legislation.

Search Wisconsin Citizens Who Have Violated Parole or Fled (Absconded)

When an offender absconds, available access to a powerful parole search tool in Wisconsin can make a real difference to public safety.

Because parole generally means the supervised release of inmates convicted of serious crimes, the Department of Corrections treats absconders from parole as a serious threat to the community. It will actively work to re-apprehend such an offender, who can create chaos in their own life and the lives of those around them.

Fortunately, the information available through the Wisconsin DOC’s Offender Search mentioned above includes details of whether an individual has violated parole or otherwise absconded from supervision. The sheer level of detail the search can provide can make this information particularly useful to empowered citizens.

The general type of search noted above is a potential source of supplementary information for the DOC’s Probation & Parole offices.⁵ These offices can be reached by phone, fax, mail or by in-person visits if necessary, although calling first and confirming the needed information is actually available is recommended.

How To Look Up Inmates in a Wisconsin State Prison

As seen above, the Wisconsin Department of Corrections’ (DOC) Offender Search Engine is useful for a free parole search, and for finding various kinds of inmates under court supervision.⁶ It’s even more useful, however, for locating the numerous people who are incarcerated in state prisons. This can be a matter of importance for members of the public who are concerned with the health and well-being of an inmate.

Part of the wealth of information offered by this search engine is the contact information associated with various facilities.⁷

This can be a starting point for setting up visits and sending money or supplies to an inmate. Extremely in-depth visitation information and insights on personal mail and care packages for inmates is available online through the DOC.

This kind of information is another way public access to inmate information can make a real and positive difference. It’s not just about being on the lookout for fugitives; it’s also about promoting compassionate attitudes and the genuine rehabilitation of inmates.

How To Find Someone’s Parole Officer & When Their Next Parole Hearing Is

The state of Wisconsin’s Truth in Sentencing legislation (already mentioned above) requires felony offenders to serve a substantial portion of their prison time before becoming eligible for parole, which reduces the frequency of hearings.⁹ However, situations will still arise when members of the public wish to attend and make statements at a parole hearing.

To find out when an offender may be up for parole and when their next hearing might be scheduled, the best avenues for seeking information will probably be familiar by this point. The offender search engine provided by the DOC includes this kind of information in its Offender Details summaries, and Probation & Parole offices can provide another point of contact and confirmation.

In addition to these options, members of the public can directly contact the Wisconsin Parole Commission to request information.¹⁰ The Commission can be reached by mail, phone or email, although getting a response has been known to take some time:

Wisconsin Parole Commission
3099 East Washington Ave.
Madison, WI 53704

Phone: (608)-240-7280
Fax: (608)-240-7299​
E-Mail: ParoleCommission@wisconsin.gov​

How To Verify if Someone Is on Probation in Wisconsin at No Cost

The same tools that are useful for finding parolees in Wisconsin can be used for finding probationers. This doesn’t mean Wisconsin is one of the states that treats probation and parole as interchangeable terms. The basic distinction between them — that probation is supervision as an alternative to prison rather than a supervised term of release from prison, as in the case of parole — is generally appreciated.

Nevertheless, institutionally, the state places both parole and probation under the same umbrella. Both statuses can be found through the detailed Offender Search, and both are managed by the same range of Probation & Parole offices.¹¹

Both of these have been discussed extensively above.

In some counties, third-party resources supplement the data. For example, Waukesha County endorses VINELink, a third-party offender search tool designed to support victims.

For citizens running a free Wisconsin parole search, this article provides the best available options in the state; be on the lookout for additional options as they become available.