The Dane County Inmate Population
The Dane County inmate population is split between the county jail system and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections facilities that sit inside the county. The Dane County Sheriff's Office resident population demographics index is the best local source for current jail totals. It separates people under the Dane County roof from CAMP, resident reallocation, and other custody locations. The same sheriff's office also runs the Current Residents roster, which lists active jail residents by name and judicial status.
The county jail count does not mean every person in custody in Dane County appears in one place. The Public Safety Building Jail and City-County Building Jail hold county jail residents, while Oakhill Correctional Institution, Oregon Correctional Center, and Thompson Correctional Center hold sentenced state prisoners under Wisconsin DOC control. A federal defendant may also pass through the local jail under U.S. Marshals arrangements, but federal prison and ICE custody have separate locator systems.
Dane County Inmate Population Statistics
The daily jail demographics report generated July 2, 2026 at 6:30 AM reported 733 total Dane County residents. That figure included 594 residents under the county roof, 112 people in CAMP, and 27 in resident reallocation. Capacity comes from the 2021 Dane County Criminal Justice Council/JFA review, which listed 465 beds at the Public Safety Building and 341 beds in the City-County Building jail floors. Those two active county jail buildings totaled 806 active beds at the time of that review.
| Measure | Figure | Source / Year-Date |
|---|---|---|
| Current total residents | 733 | Dane County Sheriff's jailreport PDF, July 2, 2026 |
| Female residents | 97 | Dane County Sheriff's jailreport PDF, July 2, 2026 |
| Male residents | 636 | Dane County Sheriff's jailreport PDF, July 2, 2026 |
| Dane County under roof | 594 | Dane County Sheriff's jailreport PDF, July 2, 2026 |
| CAMP | 112 | Dane County Sheriff's jailreport PDF, July 2, 2026 |
| Resident reallocation | 27 | Dane County Sheriff's jailreport PDF, July 2, 2026 |
| Active county jail bed capacity | 806 | 2021 JFA/consolidation review |
| Historic three-facility capacity | 950 | 2021 JFA review, including closed Ferris Huber Center |
Dane County Inmate Population Trends
Dane County jail numbers should be read as a daily operational count, not a fixed annual census. The July 2, 2026 report showed fewer total residents than the June 30, 2026 search result and the April 8, 2024 report noted in the research. The under-roof figure stayed close to the 2021 planning baseline, but CAMP and reallocation numbers shift the total resident count. That is why total residents, under-roof residents, and total with reallocation can point to different operational pressures.
| Date / Year | Population or Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| April 8, 2024 | 771 total residents | Sheriff's demographic PDF search result; CAMP 143 and under roof 592. |
| June 30, 2026 | 764 total residents | Sheriff's daily demographic report search result; under roof 629. |
| July 2, 2026 | 733 total residents | Current jailreport PDF; under roof 594. |
| 2021 planning baseline | 581 under-roof population | JFA review table for October 18, 2021, with current bed needs measured at 669. |
| FY2025 Oakhill | ADP 829, current 833 | Oakhill annual report for the state prison population physically in Dane County. |
The Dane County Jail Consolidation Project is the major local reform and construction context behind these numbers. Its purpose is not just more beds. County materials point to replacing outdated City-County Building cells, consolidating downtown jail operations, adding medical and mental-health space, and improving safety and health services in the Public Safety Building South Tower.
Dane County Jail Population Makeup
The July 2, 2026 demographic report gives a snapshot of who made up the Dane County inmate population on that date. The visible report listed 97 female and 636 male residents, for 733 total. Race counts visible in the research included 4 American Indian or Alaskan Native residents, 9 Asian residents, 387 Black residents, and 333 White residents. Judicial status values on the roster show why this population is mixed: CO pretrial, CO prearraignment, sentenced with or without Huber, probation or parole holds, outside holds, presentence investigation, and in-transit residents can all appear.
- County under roof: 594 people were listed as under the Dane County roof in the July 2, 2026 report.
- CAMP: 112 people were listed in Custody Alternative Monitoring Program status.
- Resident reallocation: 27 people were reported in reallocation, which affects how totals are read.
- State prison count: Oakhill, Oregon, and Thompson are DOC facilities, so their sentenced prisoners are not county roster residents.
Source images can help show how the sheriff presents these population tools. The resident population demographics index lists daily report links for public review.
The demographics index is separate from the name roster, so a reader may need both pages: one for aggregate Dane County inmate population figures and one for current resident names.
Dane County Jail Capacity
The active county jail capacity in the 2021 JFA review was 806 beds, based on 465 beds at the Public Safety Building and 341 beds in the City-County Building jail floors. The same review listed the Ferris Huber Center at 144 beds, but the sheriff's jail page says Dane County no longer operates a Huber or Work Release facility. Huber privileges now run through Jail Diversion/CAMP rather than a separate jail building.
Raw bed count is not the same as usable housing capacity. Classification, peaking, medical need, mental-health need, safety separation, and housing design all affect how many people can be held safely. The 2021 review used a bed-needs measure that added peaking and classification factors. The county's South Tower project reflects that concern by focusing on replacement cells, medical and mental-health space, program rooms, and safer operations.
Laws for Dane County Jail Records
Wisconsin public-records law supports access to many jail and booking records, but it does not make every law-enforcement record available in full at all times. Dane County searchers should start with the roster and daily population reports, then use a Sheriff's Records request when older booking material, photos, video, audio, or incident records are needed. Records requests may require prepayment for requests over $5 or for photos, video, or audio, and the Sheriff's request page says processing may take up to three business weeks.
Key Statutes:
Wis. Stat. § 19.31 states Wisconsin's policy favoring public access to government records.
Wis. Stat. § 19.35(1)(a) gives requesters the right to inspect records unless another law limits access.
Wis. Stat. § 19.36(10) allows withholding or redaction of certain law-enforcement information in specific settings.
Wis. Stat. § 301.37 gives Wisconsin DOC standards and inspection authority over local detention facilities.
Wis. Stat. § 302.37 covers jail cleanliness, food, bedding, water, light, clothing, and prisoner care.
Dane County State Prison Population
The Wisconsin DOC population in Dane County is separate from the county jail population. The Oakhill Correctional Institution official page and FY2025 annual report identify Oakhill as a minimum-security institution with a design capacity of 409, an average daily population of 829, and a current population of 833 in that annual report. Oakhill also operates a 10-bed maximum-security inpatient unit at UW Hospitals and Clinics for inmates from Wisconsin correctional facilities.
Oregon Correctional Center has a capacity of 112 adult male inmates, and Thompson Correctional Center has a capacity of 125 adult male inmates. Both are part of the Wisconsin Correctional Center System and use work release or community programming for qualified sentenced prisoners. These residents are found through the Wisconsin DOC Persons in Our Care locator, not the Dane County jail roster.
Search Dane County Current Residents
The official roster for current Dane County jail residents is the sheriff's Current Residents page. It is free and did not require login during research. The page lists names and judicial status values, with a Detail link for each resident. The roster's practical search method is to open the list, use browser find for the person's name, compare the judicial status, and then open the resident detail page.
The sheriff's official app also advertises local inmate search, jail information, and active warrants. It is an additional mobile channel, not a replacement for the public roster. The app is listed on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
- Open the Dane County Sheriff's Current Residents roster.
- Use browser find for the resident's last name if the page list is long.
- Compare the name and judicial status before opening a Detail link.
- Read the building, area, booking number, booking date, arrest agency, offenses, and court case numbers where posted.
- If no match appears, check DOC, BOP, ICE, VINE, the jail phone line, or Sheriff's Records depending on the likely custody path.
Dane County Roster Search Fields
The Dane County roster is not a vendor search form with many typed fields. It displays a current resident list and detail links. The site header has a general search box, but the research did not show a structured roster-only name form. Searchers should use the public list and the Detail links, then use records or phone channels when a recent booking, release, transfer, or name spelling issue makes the list unclear.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search | Site text search | Optional or unspecified | Appears in the sheriff site header and is not clearly limited to resident roster names. |
| Name | Roster list column | Not applicable | Resident name appears in last, first, middle style. |
| Judicial Status | Roster list column | Not applicable | Examples include CO Pretrial, Sentenced with Huber, P/P Violation, and outside hold statuses. |
| Detail | Link or button | Not applicable | Opens the resident profile page for booking, housing, arrest, offense, and court fields. |
The Current Residents roster screenshot shows the basic public list and detail links.
That roster is the right first stop for active county jail custody, but it is not the right source for sentenced state prisoners after transfer to Wisconsin DOC.
Past Dane County Inmate Records
The current roster is built for active custody. Dane County research did not identify a public archive that guarantees released jail residents remain searchable by name after release. For older booking records, incident material, booking photos, audio, or video, use the Dane County Sheriff's online records request or contact the Records Section. Requesters should give case numbers when known, names, dates, times, and locations. Records can be returned by mail, email, or pickup, and processing may take up to three business weeks.
If the person was sentenced to state prison, the past county jail record and the current DOC record may split. The jail record shows booking and county custody. The DOC locator shows state custody and supervision status. If the person was held for federal court, the BOP inmate locator and U.S. Marshals custody path may be more useful than the county roster.
Dane County Inmate Record Fields
A Dane County resident detail can expose much more than a name. The inspected sample showed status, building, area, scheduled release, booking number, booking date and time, name number, arrest number, arrest agency, agency case number, offenses, counts, court case numbers, disposition fields, and entry codes. These fields help separate the custody event from the court case. They also help identify whether a hold, warrant, probation or parole issue, or outside agency may affect release.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Status | Judicial or custody status, such as pretrial, sentenced, probation/parole hold, or outside hold. |
| Building and Area | The jail building and housing area code, such as PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING and a local area code. |
| Scheduled Release | A release date if one is posted on the roster detail. |
| Booking Number | The numeric identifier for the jail booking event. |
| Name Number | A separate person identifier used by the jail system. |
| Agency and Case Number | The arresting agency and its local case number. |
| Offense and Court Case Number | Booking offense text and court case numbers where available. |
| Mugshot | No booking photo was visible in the captured public text for the inspected sample profile. |
Dane County Jail vs DOC Search
The county jail roster and the Wisconsin DOC locator answer different questions. A person arrested in Madison, Monona, or another Dane County community may first appear on the sheriff's roster after booking. If that person is later sentenced to prison and transferred to DOC, the county roster is no longer the main lookup. The DOC general information page warns that a person not found in DOC search may be in a city or county jail administered separately.
| County Jail | State Prison or DOC | |
|---|---|---|
| Who is held | Pretrial residents, county-sentenced residents, holds, and in-transit people. | Sentenced state prisoners and DOC community-supervision clients. |
| Run by | Dane County Sheriff's Office. | Wisconsin Department of Corrections. |
| Where to look | Dane County Current Residents roster and Sheriff's Records. | Wisconsin DOC Persons in Our Care / Offender Locator. |
| Photos | Booking photos are not promised by the captured roster text. | DOC profiles may display state profile photos, separate from county booking photos. |
Dane County Federal Custody Search
No official BOP prison or ICE detention center was located inside Dane County, but federal and immigration custody can still intersect with the local jail. The U.S. Marshals Service uses federal, state, local, and private jail space for pre-sentenced federal detainees, and a USMS intergovernmental agreement exists for federal detainees at Dane County Jail. The BOP locator covers federal inmates from 1982 to the present. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System searches current ICE custody or certain recent CBP custody by A-number and country or by biographical data.
VINE is another access channel. The Wisconsin VINE portal provides custody status and notification services, and Dane County release materials point people to VINE for custody-status changes. VINE is not the court case file or a sheriff's records request, but it can be useful when release timing is the main concern.
Dane County Detention Facilities
Dane County's facility map has two county jail buildings and three state DOC facilities. The county jail pages should be read with the sheriff's roster in mind. The state prison pages should be read with the DOC locator in mind. That split is important because the same person may move from jail custody to state custody after sentencing.
- Dane County Public Safety Building Jail holds county jail residents, intake, pretrial, sentenced county cases, holds, and residents without work release privileges.
- Dane County City-County Building Jail holds residents awaiting trial or sentenced residents without work release privileges.
- Oakhill Correctional Institution is a Wisconsin DOC minimum-security state institution with a specialized hospital unit.
- Oregon Correctional Center is a Wisconsin Correctional Center System minimum-security adult male center.
- Thompson Correctional Center is a DOC minimum-security adult male correctional center near Deerfield and Cambridge.
Dane County Inmate Population FAQ
How big is the Dane County inmate population?
The sheriff's July 2, 2026 demographic report listed 733 total residents, with 594 under the Dane County roof, 112 in CAMP, and 27 in resident reallocation. That daily total changes as arrests, releases, court decisions, and transfers occur.
How do I search the Dane County inmate population?
Start with the sheriff's Current Residents roster for active county jail custody. Use the Detail link for a resident profile. If the person is sentenced to state prison, use the Wisconsin DOC locator instead.
Can I look up a released Dane County inmate?
The public roster is for current residents. For older booking records, file a Dane County Sheriff's Records request with names, dates, case numbers, and the record type needed.
Does the Dane County roster show mugshots?
The accessible text captured from the inspected sample detail did not expose a mugshot field. Booking photos should be requested through the Sheriff's Records process when they are not shown online.
Where do court charges appear after an arrest?
Formal Dane County court charges appear through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and Dane County Clerk of Circuit Courts records. Roster offenses are a booking starting point, not the final court charge list.
Which agency confirms release dates?
The sheriff's roster may show scheduled release dates when available. For custody-change alerts, use Wisconsin VINE. For urgent confirmation, contact the jail or the records office.