Wisconsin Department of Corrections

What Wisconsin Department of Corrections does

Wisconsin Department of Corrections is a Wisconsin state executive-branch agency, headquartered at 3099 East Washington Avenue in Madison, that operates the state's correctional system across adult incarceration, juvenile secure placement, community supervision, and victim services. The agency runs 36+ adult correctional facilities spanning maximum, medium, and minimum security institutions, the Wisconsin Correctional Center System (WCCS), the Wisconsin Women's Correctional System (WWCS), and juvenile facilities including Copper Lake School, Lincoln Hills School, and the Grow Academy. It supervises more than 68,000 offenders on probation, parole, or extended supervision in the community through the Division of Community Corrections and an Electronic Monitoring Center, and serves crime victims statewide through the Office of Victim Services and Programs (OVSP) and its DOC NOTIS notification system.

Core digital products include the public Offender Locator, the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, ICSolutions-based tablet and phone services for persons in custody (rolled out March 2024 with further hardware and software investment in June 2025), public records request portals, and an ePay system for probation and parole payments. The Reentry Unit provides post-release employment readiness and housing support, supported by a strategic partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development covering mobile training labs and institution-based job centers. The Research and Policy Unit publishes interactive dashboards and recidivism data for public and internal use. Underlying technology consists of state government information systems, offender management databases, and electronic monitoring platforms; no proprietary AI/ML capability is disclosed.

The business model is direct government service delivery funded entirely by Wisconsin state budget appropriations through general tax revenues, with no direct customer fees for core correctional services. Capital is allocated through biennial budget acts; 2025 Wisconsin Act 15 approved $130.7 million for a new Dane County Type 1 juvenile facility and $1.5 million for Grow Academy expansion planning. Customer segments are non-paying public service recipients: adult inmates, juveniles, community-supervision clients, victims and survivors, and friends and family of persons in care. Strategic priorities are currently dominated by Act 185 juvenile restructuring, which is replacing the Lincoln Hills/Copper Lake model with regional Type 1 facilities and community-based alternatives.

Name

Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Legal name

Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Website

https://doc.wi.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Wisconsin Department of Corrections is a state executive-branch agency that operates 36+ adult prisons, juvenile facilities, and community supervision for 68,000+ offenders, delivering incarceration, rehabilitation, reentry, and victim services funded through Wisconsin state appropriations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety and Correctional Services

NAICS

Correctional Institutions (922140), Parole Offices and Probation Offices (922150), Parole Offices and Probation Offices (92215), Correctional Institutions (92214), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Corrections, Probation & Parole Administration (BPAIABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Corrections (Probation, Parole & Reentry) (BPAIAFAE), Adult Corrections (Prisons & Jails) (BPAIAFAD), Juvenile Justice System (Courts & Detention) (BPAIAFAF), Correctional Facility Operations (Prisons & Jails) (BPAKANAA), Electronic Monitoring & Community Corrections Services (Ankle Monitoring, Probation Support) (BPAKANAF)

Keywords

• Correctional services
• Offender supervision
• Victim services
• Community corrections
• Reentry programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Appropriations: Funded through Wisconsin state budget appropriations. Services are provided as a public function of state government, with operations funded by general tax revenues and allocated through legislative appropriations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections is a state government agency that manages adult and juvenile correctional facilities, supervises offenders on probation, parole, and extended supervision in the community, provides victim notification and advocacy services, and delivers reentry programming to help incarcerated individuals successfully transition back into communities. It operates a statewide network of prisons, juvenile institutions, and community corrections offices serving more than 68,000 supervised offenders and thousands of incarcerated individuals.

Product overview

The Wisconsin Department of Corrections operates a comprehensive correctional system consisting of multiple interconnected product lines. The core offerings include Adult Institutions (state prisons and minimum-security facilities), the Wisconsin Correctional Center System, and the Wisconsin Women's Correctional System serving approximately 68,000+ community-supervised offenders plus incarcerated populations. Supporting services include Juvenile Facilities (Copper Lake School, Lincoln Hills School, and the Grow Academy), Community Corrections with Electronic Monitoring, and Victim Services (OVSP with DOC NOTIS notification system). Digital products include the Offender Locator public search tool, Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry, and ICS Tablet Services for inmate communication. The Reentry Unit provides transitional support, while Data and Research offers public transparency through interactive dashboards. Juvenile justice reform products include the Southeast Regional Care Center for Youth under Act 185.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adult Institutions State-run correctional facilities housing adult inmates across Wisconsin, including maximum, medium, and minimum security institutions. The service provides custody, security, and rehabilitation programming for adult persons in DOC care.
• Wisconsin Correctional Center System (WCCS) Minimum-security institutions providing work-based programming and reintegration services for adult offenders preparing to return to Wisconsin communities.
• Wisconsin Women's Correctional System (WWCS) Specialized facilities and programs serving female incarcerated populations in Wisconsin, including Taycheedah Correctional Institution, Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center, and Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center.
• Juvenile Facilities State-run juvenile correctional facilities including Copper Lake School and Lincoln Hills School, supported by Northwest and Southeast Regional Offices for community supervision of juvenile offenders in Wisconsin.
• Grow Academy A residential program offering comprehensive treatment for county and state-supervised youth as an alternative to incarceration, featuring an agriculture-based educational curriculum.
• Community Corrections Supervision services for over 68,000 offenders on probation, parole, or extended supervision in the community across Wisconsin, including electronic monitoring capabilities.
• Office of Victim Services and Programs (OVSP) Victim advocacy services for Wisconsin crime victims and survivors, including notification services, parole input, restorative justice programs, and victim-offender dialogue, delivered through a Madison central office and a Milwaukee satellite office.
• Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry Public database providing information about registered sex offenders in Wisconsin, including photos, physical descriptions, and addresses.
• Reentry Unit Programs and support services to help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully transition back into Wisconsin communities, including employment readiness and housing assistance.
• Career Technical Education Educational and vocational programs including culinary arts, welding certification (via MATC partnership), and other skills training provided to persons in DOC custody.
• Entrepreneurs In Training (EITs) Program A business development program at Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center helping aspiring entrepreneurs develop business plans for reentry success.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 95% of Persons in Care will return to communities - goal is successful reintegration
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Camp ReuniteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 December 2023Non-profit organization that partners with DOC to host Winter Camp and Summer Camp for children ages 8-17 who have a parent incarcerated. Partnership includes holiday events at Taycheedah and Kettle Moraine Correctional Institutions.
• UW-La CrosseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity students developed recordable storybook program helping incarcerated fathers maintain connection with their children through voice recordings in storybooks.
• Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership providing welding certification programs at Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility with correctional education coordination.
• ICSolutionscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership providing tablet services and phone calling features to persons in DOC care. DOC has been rolling out ICS tablets since March 2024 with significant investment in hardware and software improvements in June 2025.
• State of Wisconsin eSupplierminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorState procurement portal for vendor registration and contract opportunity notifications for potential service providers to DOC.
• Entrepreneurs In Training (EITs) ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness development program at Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center helping aspiring entrepreneurs develop business plans for reentry success.
• Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic collaboration on employment readiness including mobile training labs, institution job centers, Career Technical Education programs, and employment readiness activities for justice-involved individuals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• CoreCivic: Private corrections and reentry services company operating facilities under contract with state and federal agencies. Comparable in corrections service delivery (incarceration, community reentry), though private-sector rather than public agency, and serves as a partner/contractor to state DOCs including potentially Wisconsin.

Direct peers

• New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS): Combined corrections and community supervision agency for New York state, managing prisons, parole, and reentry services. Direct functional peer to WI DOC across adult institutions and community corrections.
• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR): Largest U.S. state DOC, operating adult and juvenile institutions, parole, and rehabilitation programs. Directly comparable to WI DOC in mandate, product portfolio (prisons, community supervision, victim services), and government appropriations funding model.
• Florida Department of Corrections: State correctional agency operating a large prison system, probation, and inmate programming. Comparable scale, mandate, and appropriations-based funding to WI DOC.
• Pennsylvania Department of Corrections: State agency managing state prisons, community corrections, parole, and reentry services with evidence-based programming emphasis. Highly comparable service portfolio to WI DOC.
• Illinois Department of Corrections: Regional state DOC operating adult institutions, parole, and juvenile justice functions with comparable Midwestern corrections profile and appropriations funding model.
• Minnesota Department of Corrections: Adjacent state DOC operating adult and juvenile facilities, community supervision, victim services, and rehabilitation programs with similar scale and policy environment to WI DOC.
• Michigan Department of Corrections: Neighboring Midwestern state DOC managing prisons, probation, parole, electronic monitoring, and reentry services. Direct comparable in service scope and regional context.
• Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction: Midwestern state correctional agency with prisons, parole, community supervision, and a strong rehabilitation/reentry emphasis. Strong functional comparability to WI DOC in scale and programming approach.
• Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ): State agency operating correctional institutions, parole supervision, and rehabilitation programming for adults and (historically via TYC) juveniles. Closely mirrors WI DOC's service mix of incarceration, community supervision, and reentry support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WICorrections
• Facebookfacebook.com/WICorrections
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wicorrections
• Instagraminstagram.com/wicorrections

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wisconsin Department of Corrections