Maximum security (men) · State Prison · WI DOC

Columbia Correctional Institution

Portage, Columbia County, Wisconsin

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (608) 742-9100 Info last verified: June 2026

A maximum-security men's prison in Portage, in central Wisconsin.

Statewide rules that apply at every WI DOC prison

These rules are set by WI DOC and apply at every unit. The full list — including all permitted and prohibited items and the approval process — is in Visiting in Wisconsin.

Dress code

No camouflage, transparent or revealing clothing, strapless or tube tops, spandex worn as pants, shorts or skirts shorter than fingertip length, gang-related or obscene items, or torn clothing; no watches or purses, and avoid underwire bras and metal jewelry that will not clear the metal detector.
Each institution enforces its own visiting dress code and may turn away a visitor who is dressed out of code, so confirm the specific facility's rules before traveling.

ID: Every visitor must be on the incarcerated person's approved visiting list before visiting — the person mails a DOC-21AA Visitor Questionnaire to the prospective visitor, who completes it and returns it to the institution. Visitors 16 and older show a valid government-issued photo ID at each visit.
What to bring: Bring only what the institution allows — phones, bags, and most personal items are not permitted in the visiting room. A visitor may bring up to $25 in cash or one debit/credit card for vending; money for the person's account is sent through Access Corrections, never handed over at a visit.
Scheduling: Wisconsin has no statewide online visit scheduler — visits are arranged with each institution (call the facility), and days and hours vary. Video visits are scheduled separately through ICSolutions. A newly committed person is processed at a reception center first — men at the Dodge Correctional Institution (Waupun), women at the Taycheedah Correctional Institution (Fond du Lac) — before transfer.

Full statewide rules: Visiting in Wisconsin

Overview

Columbia Correctional Institution (CCI) is a maximum-security men’s prison in Portage, in Columbia County, central Wisconsin. The institution opened in 1986 and sits on a 110-acre site. According to WI DOC, it operates ten maximum-security units of 50 cells each, plus one minimum-security unit with 150 beds, for a total capacity of about 650. It is one of Wisconsin’s maximum-security institutions for men, run by the Department of Corrections’ Division of Adult Institutions.

Wisconsin abolished the death penalty in 1853 — the first U.S. state to do so — so there is no death row and no execution chamber at any Wisconsin prison.

To confirm where a specific person is held, use the WI DOC offender locator.

What Makes Columbia Different

It is a maximum-security men’s prison, one of several maximum-security institutions in the Wisconsin system.
It also operates a minimum-security unit (150 beds) alongside its ten maximum-security units, so custody levels on the grounds differ.
It is in central Wisconsin near Portage, off the Interstate 39/90/94 corridor, which makes it reachable from Madison and points north and south.

Visiting

The statewide WI DOC rules above — the approved visitor list, the dress code, ID, and item limits — apply at Columbia Correctional Institution. The facility’s own arrangements:

The full approval process is in Visiting in Wisconsin.

Getting There and Parking

The prison is at 2925 Columbia Drive in Portage, in Columbia County, central Wisconsin.

Distances are approximate, based on map routing. Visitor parking is on site.

Nearby Services

Portage has local restaurants, lodging, and services, and Madison, about 35–40 miles south, has the nearest large cluster of hotels and services. The nearest hospital emergency rooms are in the Portage and Madison area.

Mail

Incoming personal mail does not go to the prison. Wisconsin sends personal mail to an off-site vendor, TextBehind, which opens and photocopies it and forwards copies to the institution; people with tablets may also receive electronic photos. Address personal mail with the person’s full name, DOC number, and the full (unabbreviated) facility name to: TextBehind, P.O. Box 189, Phoenix, MD 21131. Legal and privileged mail is exempt and goes directly to the institution at its own legal-mail address. Books and other publications must come from an approved vendor, shipped directly from the retailer, not from individuals. Full rules are in Mail & Packages.

Learn More

For detailed information about visiting and communicating with someone in a Wisconsin state prison:

Visiting in Wisconsin — the DOC-21AA visitor questionnaire, approval, and visiting list
Mail & Packages — the TextBehind mail-scanning process and what still goes to the facility
Phone & Video Calls — ICSolutions calls, tablets, and video visits
Sending Money — depositing through Access Corrections
Medical & Mental Health — sick call, the co-pay, and the Bureau of Health Services
Transfers & Finding Someone — reception, classification, and the locator

Sources

This page is compiled from the following publicly available sources. Policies change without notice — confirm current details with the facility before relying on them.