Maximum security (men) · State Prison · WI DOC

Waupun Correctional Institution

Waupun, Dodge County, Wisconsin

Visiting schedules change without notice. Always call before traveling.

Call Visiting Office: (920) 324-5571 Info last verified: June 2026

Wisconsin's oldest prison, a maximum-security men's institution in Waupun, opened 1851.

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

Waupun Correctional Institution (WCI) is a maximum-security prison for men in Waupun, Dodge County, Wisconsin. Opened in 1851, it is the oldest prison in the state. The institution is operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections through its Division of Adult Institutions.

Wisconsin’s statewide men’s intake and reception is handled at Dodge Correctional Institution, also in Waupun; a person’s security level is assigned at intake. Because families are not automatically notified of transfers, the WI DOC offender locator is the way to confirm where someone is currently held.

Wisconsin has no death penalty. The state abolished capital punishment in 1853, and there is no death row or execution chamber anywhere in the Wisconsin prison system.

What Makes Waupun Different

Waupun Correctional Institution is the oldest prison in Wisconsin, opened in 1851. It predates the rest of the state’s adult institutions and has operated as a maximum-security men’s prison.

Under a 2025 state plan, Waupun is slated to convert from a maximum-security prison to a medium-security vocational prison. As of mid-2026, only planning funds had been approved, and the institution remains maximum security. Because a facility’s mission and population can change during a transition like this, the offender locator should be used to confirm the person’s current institution before traveling.

Visiting

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

Getting There and Parking

Waupun Correctional Institution is at 200 S. Madison St., Waupun, WI 53963-0351, in Dodge County in east-central Wisconsin. There is no public-transit service to the institution; visitors generally arrive by private vehicle. Confirm visiting days and hours with the facility before traveling, and arrive no more than 15 minutes before the scheduled visit.

Nearby Services

Waupun is in Dodge County, with the Fond du Lac and Beaver Dam areas nearby. The closest full-service hospital emergency rooms are in those communities. Lodging, fuel, and restaurants are available in Waupun and in the larger Fond du Lac and Beaver Dam areas.

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.