Dane County Jail System - City-County Jail

Dane County Jail System - City-County Jail basic information to help guide you through what you can do for your inmate while they are incarcerated. The facility's direct contact number: 608-284-6100

The Dane County Jail System - City-County Jail is a medium-security detention center located at 210 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd Madison, WI which is operated locally by the Dane County Sheriff's Office and holds inmates awaiting trial or sentencing or both. Most of the sentenced inmates are here for less than two years. Dane County accepts inmates from surrounding towns, municipalities, the US Marshal's Service and the Madison Police Department who do not have their own long-term lock-up.

The Dane County Sheriff's Office operates three jail facilities:

• The City-County Building Jail houses maximum-security prisoners who are awaiting trial or who do not have work release privileges on their sentences.
• The Public Safety Building Jail, located at 115 West Doty Street, Madison, WI houses medium-security prisoners and prisoners sentenced to jail with work release. It also contains our Booking facility for processing new prisoners into the jail and is the centralized location for releases from the jail facilities. All property, financial, and administrative offices are located at this facility.
• The William H. Ferris Center, located at 2120 Rimrock Road, Madison, WI, near the Coliseum and Exposition Center, houses minimum-security prisoners who are sentenced with work release privileges and houses the administrative office for electronic release programs.

If you are sentenced to the Jail, the Court may grant you Huber release privileges. The Jail may allow Huber release for employment, child/family care, school, treatment, etc. Your criminal history and jail behavior may impact your ability to exercise Huber. The Huber program has a strict set of rules. All activities on Huber release must be verified and approved by Jail staff. You will be allowed out of the Jail only for the approved activity, including travel time. You may be allowed out of the jail for a maximum of 6 days per week. This applies to your employment or any combination of employment and other approved Huber release activities. Failure to follow the pre-reporting steps listed below may affect your ability to exercise Huber privileges immediately.

Jail Rules - Upon reporting to the jail to serve your sentence, you will have access to the Jail Inmate Handbook. The Handbook contains the Jail rules, including specific rules while out on Huber Release. You will be expected to comply with all of the jail rules. Failure to do so may result in discipline and affect your ability to exercise Huber release privileges.

What can I bring to jail? The storage space in the jail is very limited. Duffle bags, luggage or electronic devices such as cell phones, laptops, tablets etc. will not be allowed into the jail. You will be required to dispose of any unallowable property prior to entering the jail. The jail will issue you limited items upon your arrival to jail, such as a jail uniform, jail sandals, hygiene items, brassieres, underwear briefs/boxers, thermal underwear shirts, socks and t-shirts. You may bring the following additional personal items listed below in a disposable bag when you report to jail. You do not need to bring the clothing items if you don’t intend to go out on Huber release. All items are subject to final approval by medical staff and/or jail administration.

• 5 thermal underwear pants
• 5 shirts
• 3 sweatshirts or sweaters
• 5 pants or shorts (no holes or rips)
• 1 belt (small buckle, not solid metal, non-braided)
• 2 pairs of seasonal footwear (basic shoes and boots, no high heels)
• 1 seasonal jacket
• 1 pair of winter gloves
• 1 winter scarf
• 1 cap or winter hat
• 1 wristwatch
• 1 wedding band (only solid metal, no gemstones)
• 1 backpack-type carrier (only if attending school)
• medical alert bracelet (need for bracelet will be verified by jail medical staff upon arrival)
• 1 pair of eyeglasses with 1 case
• 2 individual contact lenses with 1 case
• 1 contact solution (4 ounces or less in an original and unopened container, no glass or breakable container)
• 1 pair of dentures
• 1 denture adhesive (2.4 ounces or less in an original and unopened container, no glass or breakable container)
• prescription medications (must be current and in the original prescription container)
• valid state-issued identification card and social security card; if you have one or intend to seek employment while incarcerated
• medically necessary equipment, such as splints, braces and sleep apnea machine etc. (water for sleep apnea machine will be provided by jail medical)

Once you have been classified and assigned to a housing unit, you will have the ability to purchase additional items from commissary, such as hygiene items. If you are indigent, hygiene items will be made available to you. You may also request permission from jail staff to have additional personal property dropped off at the jail during designated times. Hygiene items will be not be allowed to be dropped off unless approved by jail medical staff.

Jail Diversion - If you are interested in participating in a Jail Diversion Program, please contact (608) 266-9089 for more information.