Parenting From Prison in Wisconsin

Parenting From Prison in Wisconsin

Wisconsin's Department of Corrections calls the people in its care **PIOCs** -- Persons in Our Care. That terminology, used throughout the department's official materials, reflects a philosophy that runs through its communication policies: the person inside is still a person in a relationship with the department, not just a number in a system.

For a parent trying to maintain contact with their children from inside a Wisconsin facility, the terminology is the background. The foreground is three things that work differently from most other states in this series.

The first is the tablet transition. Wisconsin is in the middle of moving from the old ATG/CorrLinks tablet system to new ICS tablets running on GettingOut. Once a facility deploys ICS tablets, CorrLinks messages no longer work there -- they will not be received and are not refunded. The PIOC is responsible for telling their family which system is active at their facility. That responsibility sits entirely on the person inside.

The second is the visiting Party ID. To schedule any visit through Wisconsin's ICSolutions platform, a family member needs a specific Party ID that the PIOC provides. The ICS account cannot be set up for visits without that ID. If a family is sitting down to register at icsolutions.com without the Party ID, they cannot complete the process.

The third is the visitor questionnaire flow: the DOC-21AA form that every prospective visitor must complete. The PIOC obtains the form and mails it to the prospective visitor. The visitor then completes it and mails it back to the institution. The process runs through the PIOC, not directly from the visitor to the DOC.

Understanding all three of these before the first week prevents the contact breakdowns they cause when families discover them mid-process.

The ICS Tablet Transition: GettingOut vs CorrLinks

Wisconsin began rolling out ICS tablets in March 2024, starting with Sanger B. Powers Correctional Center, Green Bay Correctional Institution, and Waupun Correctional Institution. The goal was to have all adult facilities on ICS tablets by early 2025. By the time of this writing, the transition is substantially complete across the WIDOC system.

**What this means for messaging:**

- At facilities with ICS tablets: use **GettingOut** (gettingout.com or the GettingOut app) for electronic messages and photos

- At facilities still on ATG tablets: use **CorrLinks** (corrlinks.com) for messages only (no photos through CorrLinks)

- Cost: $0.15 per message regardless of which platform

**The critical warning:** once a facility goes live with ICS tablets, CorrLinks messages sent to that facility will not be received and will not be refunded. The PIOC's responsibility, under official WIDOC guidance, is to tell their family the go-live date for ICS tablets at their facility. Before sending any purchase or message through CorrLinks, confirm with the PIOC which system their facility currently uses.

If the facility has already transitioned to ICS, set up a GettingOut account and do not purchase ATG tablet time. If the facility has not yet transitioned, continue with CorrLinks until the PIOC confirms the ICS go-live date.

The Party ID: What It Is and Why It Matters

To schedule any visit at a WIDOC facility through ICSolutions, a family member needs a **Party ID** -- a specific identifier that the PIOC provides. The ICS account for visitation cannot be completed without it.

The PIOC provides their Party ID to family and friends. The family member then creates or updates their account at **icsolutions.com**, entering the Party ID to link to the correct PIOC. Allow at least 12 hours after creating the ICS account before attempting to schedule a visit.

Visits must be scheduled at least **48 hours in advance**. Most facilities use ICSolutions for both in-person and video visit scheduling. Some facilities have specific rules about which visits use ICS -- check the facility's page on doc.wi.gov before the first visit attempt.

During the first six months of ICS implementation at a facility, each PIOC may receive one free video visit per week, provided facility operations allow it. Confirm whether this is currently active at your specific facility.

The DOC-21AA: How Visitor Approval Works

The visitor approval form in Wisconsin is DOC-21AA, the Visitor Questionnaire. The process is specific and runs differently from most states:

The PIOC obtains the DOC-21AA and mails it to the prospective visitor. The visitor completes the form and mails it back to the institution for processing. If approved, the PIOC is notified that the visitor has been added to their list. Applicants may be denied for reasons specified in DAI Policy 309.06.01, and a written notice is issued for any denial.

For minors under 18: a non-incarcerated parent or legal guardian must consent to the visit, documented on the DOC-21AA. All visitors, including minors, need a completed form on file.

This means the process depends on the PIOC initiating it. If a family member wants to visit, the first step is asking the PIOC to mail them the DOC-21AA. Until that form is submitted and approved, no visit can happen. Families who assume they can initiate the application directly from outside are waiting on a process that has not started.

Phone Calls Through ICS Corrections

Phone calls at WIDOC facilities run through **ICS Corrections / ICSolutions**. The PIOC must complete voice validation to place calls. Calls are monitored and recorded except legal calls. FCC rate caps apply. No 800 numbers, no three-way calls, no call forwarding.

Wisconsin's Administrative Code (DOC 309.39) specifically states that the department shall "encourage communication between an inmate and an inmate's family, friends, government officials, courts, and people concerned with the welfare of the inmate" because "communication fosters reintegration into the community and the maintenance of family ties." That language is law in Wisconsin, not just policy.

A specific provision under DOC 309.42 also allows a PIOC to call their spouse, parent, or child who is committed to another Wisconsin correctional or mental health institution -- through prior arrangements with appropriate staff. If a parent in prison has a child or spouse in another Wisconsin facility, this provision exists.

For a parent using the phone to maintain contact with children outside: use the call for one child at a time, one real question about their actual week, I love you at the end. The legal encouragement to maintain family ties reflects the research -- and the phone call is where that research lives in daily practice.

What Contact Visits Look Like in Wisconsin

Wisconsin allows contact visits at most facilities. Per official visiting information: **inmates may embrace and kiss visitors at the beginning and end of each visit**. That moment at the start and end of the visit -- the hug when the child arrives, the hug when they leave -- is something the rules explicitly permit.

Parents are responsible for the behavior and supervision of their children at all times during visits. Any child who leaves the visiting area must be accompanied by an adult. Visitors appearing to be under the influence of intoxicants will not be admitted.

For PIOCs in restrictive housing or under no-contact visiting restrictions: audio-visual equipment may be used, and additional limits on hours, visit length, or number of visitors may apply.

The contact visit is the most important form of connection for young children who need to be in the same physical space as their parent. In Wisconsin, the rules make space for it explicitly. Use it.

Mail in Wisconsin

Physical mail travels to the facility's specific mailing address. The PIOC's full name and DOC number must be on all mail. Mailing addresses in Wisconsin differ by mail type -- check the Money, Mail, and Property page for the specific facility at doc.wi.gov for the correct address before sending.

Write to each child individually. One letter per child, their name at the top, their world inside it. Wisconsin's seasons are specific: the Great Lakes winds off Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, the snow that starts in November and sometimes holds through March, the brief and fervent summer that Midwesterners celebrate with particular intensity. Write to the season your child is living in. Ask the real question. Give them something to respond to.

For the Family Holding Wisconsin Together

Ask the PIOC which tablet system is active at their facility -- GettingOut (ICS) or CorrLinks (ATG) -- before setting up any messaging account. Ask them to mail you the DOC-21AA visitor questionnaire so you can complete it and return it to the institution. Get your Party ID from the PIOC so you can set up the ICSolutions visit account at icsolutions.com.

Allow 12 hours after creating your ICS account before scheduling. Schedule visits at least 48 hours in advance. Keep the GettingOut or CorrLinks account funded at $0.15 per message. Fund the phone account through ICS Corrections for calls.

And do the human work. Wisconsin's department calls the people in its care Persons in Our Care. Its code requires the department to support family ties as a matter of rehabilitation. The infrastructure reflects that value. Use it.

Federal Prison in Wisconsin: FCI Oxford

The Federal Correctional Institution at Oxford, in Oxford, Wisconsin, is the primary BOP facility in the state. FCI Oxford houses low and medium security federal inmates. If you are in federal custody at FCI Oxford or another BOP facility, the national BOP standard applies.

**Phone.** Three hundred minutes per month, each call capped at 15 minutes at $0.06 per minute, plus 100 extra minutes in November and December. **TRULINCS/CorrLinks.** $0.05 per minute on your end, free for the family, up to 30 approved contacts, text only, no attachments. Note: federal CorrLinks continues regardless of the WIDOC tablet transition -- the two systems are entirely separate.

FAQ

**What does PIOC mean in Wisconsin?** PIOC stands for Person in Our Care -- Wisconsin DOC's official term for incarcerated individuals. It reflects the department's stated philosophy of rehabilitation and human connection.

**Should I use GettingOut or CorrLinks to message someone in Wisconsin?** It depends on which tablet system their facility has deployed. If the facility has ICS tablets, use GettingOut (gettingout.com). If the facility still has ATG tablets, use CorrLinks (corrlinks.com). The PIOC is responsible for telling their family which system is active. Once a facility deploys ICS tablets, CorrLinks messages will not be received or refunded.

**What is the Party ID and where do I get it?** The Party ID is a specific identifier the PIOC provides to family and friends so they can create or link their ICSolutions visiting account. Without it, the ICS account for visits cannot be completed. The PIOC provides it -- not the DOC or the facility.

**How does the visitor application work in Wisconsin?** The DOC-21AA Visitor Questionnaire is obtained by the PIOC and mailed to the prospective visitor. The visitor completes it and mails it back to the institution. If approved, the PIOC is notified. The process cannot be initiated by the family directly.

**Are contact visits allowed in Wisconsin?** Yes, at most facilities. Inmates may embrace and kiss visitors at the beginning and end of each visit. Parents are responsible for supervising their children throughout the visit.

**How far in advance must visits be scheduled in Wisconsin?** At least 48 hours in advance through ICSolutions. Create the ICS account at icsolutions.com using the Party ID from the PIOC, and allow 12 hours after account creation before attempting to schedule.

**What is the federal situation at FCI Oxford?** FCI Oxford in Oxford, Wisconsin, is a BOP facility. Federal rules apply: 300 phone minutes per month with 15-minute call caps at $0.06 per minute, plus TRULINCS email through CorrLinks at $0.05 per minute on the inmate's end, free for families, up to 30 approved contacts, text only.