Maximum security; men's reception center · Reception Center · WI DOC

Dodge Correctional Institution

Waupun, Dodge County, Wisconsin

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (920) 324-5577 Info last verified: June 2026

A maximum-security men's prison in Waupun that serves as Wisconsin's statewide reception and intake center for men and houses the central medical infirmary.

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

Dodge Correctional Institution, on West Lincoln Street in Waupun, is Wisconsin’s statewide reception and intake center for men — the point where most newly sentenced men in the state are received, assessed (medical, mental health, and custody classification), and then assigned and transferred to a permanent prison. Because of that role, a man is usually here only briefly, and the facility shown in the locator changes once he is classified and transferred. The prison operates at maximum security.

Dodge also houses the Wisconsin prison system’s central medical infirmary — an inpatient unit of about 60 beds that provides infirmary-level care for men from across the state’s institutions.

What Makes Dodge Different

It is the men’s statewide reception and intake center, so most newly sentenced men in Wisconsin begin here before transferring to a permanent prison.
Security level is assigned during intake, and the facility shown in the locator changes after classification and transfer.
It houses the central 60-bed men’s infirmary, providing inpatient medical care for men from institutions across the state.
It is in Waupun, Dodge County, between Madison and Fond du Lac.

Visiting

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

The full approval process is in Visiting in Wisconsin.

Getting There and Parking

Dodge Correctional Institution is in Waupun, Dodge County, between Madison and Fond du Lac.

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

Nearby Services

Waupun and the surrounding Dodge County area have gas, food, and lodging, with more options in nearby Beaver Dam and Fond du Lac. The nearest 24-hour emergency rooms are in the Fond du Lac and Beaver Dam 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.