Minimum security (men) · State Prison · WI DOC

Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution

Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, Wisconsin

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (608) 326-7828 Info last verified: June 2026

A minimum-security men's prison in Prairie du Chien, in southwestern Wisconsin on the Mississippi River.

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

Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution (PDCI) is a minimum-security state prison for men in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections (WI DOC) through its Division of Adult Institutions. The site was originally built in the mid-1900s as a Jesuit high school; the State of Wisconsin acquired it in 1995. It first held juvenile offenders and transitioned to adult incarceration in 2003. PDCI operated as a medium-security facility until May 2021, when it transitioned to minimum security.

Wisconsin abolished the death penalty in 1853 — the first U.S. state to do so — and has no death row and no execution chamber.

Men are assigned a security level at intake, which for the Wisconsin system takes place at Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun. People are placed at Prairie du Chien by the department; families do not choose the facility, and the department does not automatically notify families of a transfer. Re-check the offender locator before traveling.

What Makes Prairie du Chien Different

Prairie du Chien occupies a building first constructed as a Jesuit high school in the mid-1900s, which the state acquired in 1995. The facility held juvenile offenders before converting to adult incarceration in 2003, and it ran as a medium-security prison until May 2021, when it became a minimum-security institution for men.

Visiting

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

Getting There and Parking

Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution is at 500 E. Parrish St. in Prairie du Chien, Crawford County, in southwestern Wisconsin on the Mississippi River near the Iowa border. The facility is reached by private vehicle; confirm visitor parking and entrance procedures with the institution. Public transit options to the site are limited.

Nearby Services

Prairie du Chien is in Crawford County in southwestern Wisconsin, on the Mississippi River. A hospital with an emergency room operates in Prairie du Chien, and additional hospitals with emergency rooms are in the La Crosse area to the north. Lodging, fuel, and food are available in the Prairie du Chien 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.