Searching is quick. Here is the routine:

1. Load the jail search on a phone, tablet or computer.
2. Key in the last name and then the first name. Hold off on the middle name for now.
3. Scan the list for the right person.
4. Open that result for the custody status and the facility.
5. Want word if that status changes? Register for a notice right from the result.

VINE also reads out status over the phone at 888-944-8463. Nothing found after all that? Jail staff at 608-328-9598 can check their list using the name and birthday.

A blank screen is a puzzle, not proof that someone walked out. Think through these chances:

• Booking is not finished. Brand-new arrests can take some time to load.
• Release already happened. Maybe a judge okayed a signature bond. Maybe a relative paid the cash.
• A transfer took place. A full jail in Monroe can mean a bed in another county.
• The name is typed differently. Try the legal first name, a hyphen or a shorter spelling.
• The person is 16 or under. Youth cases go to county Human Services, so the adult jail rarely books them.

Phone the jail at 608-328-9598 for the real answer. The Sheriff's Communication Center, 608-328-9400, can help too.

Nearly every time, yes, since the county has a single adult lockup. Here is what it handles and where else someone might end up:

• Green County Jail, 2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-328-9598. Every local agency books people here. Prisoners at maximum, medium and minimum security share the building. Sentenced Huber and work release prisoners have their own area and head out to jobs during the day. Each release is handled here.
• Another county when space is short. The county itself warns that some prisoners may be sent to other jails. During 2026, the Grant County Jail, 8820 Hwy 35/61/81, Lancaster, WI 53813, 608-723-2157, housed a few. A person may be held there.

The Justice Center, 2841 6th Street, holds the court offices, yet no one sleeps there. For the exact location of a prisoner, ring the Sheriff's Office at 608-328-9400.

You can ask for them as public records. Government records start out open to anyone, by the terms of sections 19.31 to 19.39 of the Wisconsin Statutes. A requester never has to explain the reason or sign a name. Direct requests for mugshots to the Sheriff's Office, 2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-328-9400. The office weighs each request separately, and police records about minors are not public.

• Reporters can ask the Sheriff's Office too.
• Immigration photos come through ICE's records request page.
• The U.S. Marshals Service is the one federal agency that may release a booking photo, such as for a fugitive it is chasing. Other federal booking photos are generally not released.

Possibly, if the jail takes part. The state corrections department runs WI VINE County Jails, so families use it free. Users can stay anonymous, and the service works in English, Spanish and Hmong. It does two jobs:

• Status checks. Look on VINELink to check if a name appears as in custody, and at which jail.
• Notices. If the Green County Jail is listed, register a number to get a call about a release or a transfer. To set it up by phone, dial 888-944-8463.

Nothing arrives unless you register. Crime victims have one more contact, the Victim/Witness office in the Justice Center, 2841 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-328-9426. To hear today's status from a person, ring the jail at 608-328-9598.

Release is settled at the first court appearance. Wisconsin sets no fixed clock, only a reasonable time (Wis. Stat. 970.01). Police who arrest on their own, with no warrant signed beforehand, need a judge to agree there was probable cause, generally inside 48 hours. Key points for families:

• Going home is the default. Many walk out after signing a bond (Wis. Stat. 969.02 and 969.03). Signing creates no debt unless a court date gets missed.
• Cash needs a reason. A judge may require money to be sure the person comes back. Violent charges open the door to more factors, such as earlier violent convictions, the odds of skipping court and risk to others.
• Wisconsin does not allow paid sureties. A person who backs a bond cannot be paid for it (Wis. Stat. 969.12). Relatives come up with the whole sum themselves.
• Payment spots. The kiosk in the jail's lobby accepts cash or a card, and the Jail ATM website accepts payments too. The Justice Center, 2841 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, takes bail on weekdays during business hours, 608-328-9433. Monroe police charges can also be paid at 1811 12th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-329-2400.
• Hold on to the receipt. A conviction lets the court use the money for fines and restitution, even if a relative put it up, so ask about that before paying.

Seventy-two hours have gone by since the first hearing and the conditions are still out of reach? The judge then must review them (Wis. Stat. 969.08). Our bail page covers it all, and the state bail law page adds background.

Start by asking jail staff what was listed at booking. The judge then reads the charge aloud at the first appearance, and the person receives the written complaint. After the case is on file, look up the name on Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, a free state site showing charges, hearing dates and case status.

Final charges come from the District Attorney, whose office is in the Justice Center, 2841 Sixth Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-328-9424.

Wisconsin ranks misdemeanors in three classes (Wis. Stat. 939.51). At the top sits Class A: a sentence of 9 months at most, a $10,000 fine at most, or both. Lower down, a Class B case can mean 90 days and $1,000, while Class C stops at 30 days and $500.

The State Public Defender provides it for adults who meet its money rules. A judge points people there at the first appearance when they say they can't pay. One office in Monroe serves this county and Lafayette County:

• 1720 10th Street, Unit 106, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-447-5170
• Applying takes roughly 15 minutes. See the application steps.
• Turned down? The court can say if a county-paid lawyer is possible.

Families are also free to retain a private attorney. Attorneys meet clients at the jail on weekdays, 8:00 to 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 to 4:15 p.m., after showing a State Bar ID. Those talks are not recorded.

Family visits all happen on a screen, and nobody meets face to face. You can visit two ways:

• On site, no charge. The jail lobby at 2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, has two video booths. Each visitor may use one free visit per week. Weekend hours run Saturday and Sunday, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m., then an afternoon block ending at 4:00 p.m. and an evening block ending at 8:00 p.m. Sign in at the front window and show a photo ID.
• From home, for a fee. Reliance Telephone schedules and bills remote video visits. These run any day of the week in the same time blocks.

Kids under 18 need an adult along, and a booth fits two visitors at most. Sessions are recorded. Someone away on Huber during a block cannot take a visit then. Visits can be called off with no notice, so ring 608-328-9598 before the trip. Our visiting guide shares more advice for first-timers.

Each prisoner has one account that pays for canteen items and jail costs. Pick one of these:

• The Stellar Teller kiosk inside the Sheriff's Office lobby, 2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566. A small fee applies to cash, and cards cost about 10 percent extra.
• The Jail ATM website, the online option the county points families to.
• A money order mailed to the jail at PO Box 473, Monroe, WI 53566. Mailing cash is risky, so skip it.

Debts get paid first. One fourth of each deposit goes toward any jail medical bill, and other jail debts can take the whole thing. Booking also brings a $25 fee that is not refunded.

Orders for snacks and supplies are due Tuesday night, with delivery Wednesday. Questions? Ring 608-328-9598. Our deposit guide and commissary guide go deeper.

The jail uses Reliance Telephone Systems for both phone calls and text messages. Calls can be collect, charged to the prisoner's own money or prepaid by family. Through the Reliance website you can buy call time, buy texts or load the prisoner's phone wallet.

• Expect every call and text to be recorded. Keep the facts of the case for private lawyer meetings.
• Refuse five calls from the jail, and your number gets blocked for a day.
• Prisoners use a hand-held device for video visits and the library.
• Staff skip routine messages but relay a true emergency after checking it. For that, ring 608-328-9598.

Our jail phone guide and messaging guide have extra tips.

Only mail carried by the U.S. Postal Service gets in, and dropped-off letters are refused. Use this address:

Prisoner's full name
Green County Jail
2827 6th Street
PO Box 473
Monroe, WI 53566

Your own name and return address go on the front corner. Leave them off and the post office returns the letter. Handwritten or typed letters and money orders are fine.

• Banned items: stamps, stickers, Polaroids, nude pictures, and any package nobody approved ahead of time.
• Size limits: envelopes up to 10 by 13 inches and photos up to 3 by 5 inches.
• Lipstick marks, perfume or scribbles beyond the letter mean it gets tossed.
• Books must be approved first, and the cap is 10.
• Mark legal mail clearly. Staff open it only with the prisoner watching.

Weekend and holiday mail usually waits for the next workday. Our mail guide explains more.

What someone carried at booking goes into storage until they leave. Family can drop off a few things at the jail, 2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, in person only. The prisoner has to agree, and you complete a property slip in the lobby.

• Accepted: money plus small amounts of clothing like socks, underwear and bras.
• Medicine comes in only at the request of medical staff.
• Anything left after a release is held for 7 days.

Ring 608-328-9598 first, and ask how a relative can collect items for someone still in custody.

The Sheriff answers for the health of everyone inside, under state jail rules. That covers doctors, mental health help and urgent dental work, and lack of money cannot stand in the way. Newcomers get a health screening by day 14.

• A doctor and a nurse work part time inside the jail.
• Prisoners turn in a sick call slip before the 11 p.m. lockdown, or push an emergency button.
• Seeing the nurse costs $10. Each prescription is $10 per month.

If you are worried, ring 608-328-9598. Tell staff which medicines your loved one takes, the doses, and how to reach their own doctor. In a mental health crisis, the Human Services 24-hour line is 888-552-6642. Prisoners can file a grievance, and each jail must offer an appeal. Once a year, state inspectors from the Office of Detention Facilities visit: 3099 East Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53704, 608-240-5000.

Ask the Sheriff's Office at 608-328-9400. Have the full name and birthday ready for the deputy. Next, look up the case on Wisconsin Circuit Court Access. A skipped court date there is a red flag, and the Sheriff or the clerk can say whether a warrant followed. To clear one, talk to a lawyer and surrender at the jail, 2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, or ask the court to give a new date. Reach the Clerk of Circuit Court at the Justice Center, 2841 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-328-9433.

Misdemeanors and felonies alike go to circuit court, which has two branches. The Clerk of Circuit Court is in the Justice Center, 2841 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566.

• For dates, the Clerk of Circuit Court picks up at 608-328-9433, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Free name searches run on Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, which also works on courthouse computers.
• Felony defendants held on bail above $500 get a preliminary hearing within 10 days. Those who are out get one within 20 days.
• A local ordinance ticket might belong to a municipal court, and the ticket says which.

Our court guide traces each stage of a case.

Federal court for Monroe and its neighbors is the Western District of Wisconsin, which sits in Madison. Clerk's office: Robert W. Kastenmeier U.S. Courthouse, 120 N. Henry St., Room 320, Madison, WI 53703, 608-264-5156.

1. Most federal defendants face a detention hearing right at the start. Rules for that hearing come from 18 U.S.C. 3142, and the judge picks supervised release or custody until trial.
2. The U.S. Marshals Service can say where a federal defendant is held. Its Madison office: 120 N. Henry St., Suite 440, Madison, WI 53703, 608-661-8300.
3. Defendants short on money can turn to Federal Defender Services, 22 East Mifflin Street, Suite 1000, Madison, WI 53703, 608-260-9900.
4. After sentencing, try the BOP inmate locator. A name or register number works.

Immigration holds tend to follow these steps:

1. Paperwork arrives first: Form I-247A, which ICE calls a detainer.
2. It asks the Sheriff to keep the person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)). The Sheriff's Office, 608-328-9400, can describe its own practice.
3. ICE collects the person. The Chicago Field Office handles Wisconsin from 101 W. Ida B. Wells Dr., Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60605, 872-351-3990.
4. Find them on the ICE Online Detainee Locator. Enter the A-number, which works best. Families without it can search by full name plus the nation of birth. No result means a call to the field office.

ICE's Milwaukee check-in office sits at 310 E. Knapp St., Milwaukee, WI 53202, 414-792-7198.

Once a judge orders prison time for a felony, the state takes over from the county:

• New arrivals spend roughly 8 to 12 weeks in Department of Corrections intake. Staff run tests, sort out custody level and pick a prison. The move comes after intake ends.
• Men starting intake can't receive visitors for 3 days.
• For a felony from Dec. 31, 1999 on, the sentence comes in two pieces: time inside a prison, then a stretch of extended supervision back home. Parole plays no part.
• To see where they are now, open the DOC Inmate and Offender Search and enter a name.

Visiting, deposits and letters for state prisons are covered in our Wisconsin prison guide.

Wisconsin treats 17-year-olds as adults, so their cases go to adult court, and if held they go to the Monroe jail. Children 16 and younger are screened by the county's Human Services Department instead.

• Human Services, Pleasant View Complex, N3152 State Rd 81, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-328-9393, open weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its crisis line answers 24 hours a day at 888-552-6642.
• State law keeps intake on call around the clock. Before any child is locked in detention, an intake worker must meet the child and talk in person. Exceptions are rare.
• No youth detention center exists in the county, so a child who needs secure custody goes to a center elsewhere. Human Services can tell you which.
• Kept in custody? Then a judge sees the child soon. The deadline is 24 hours, and it starts running at midnight after the hold decision. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays are skipped.

The gravest youth cases may end at Lincoln Hills School for boys or Copper Lake School for girls.

Roughly 37,521 people call the county home (Wisconsin Department of Administration estimate, Jan. 1, 2025). Any of these departments might have made the arrest:

• Sheriff's Office, 2827 6th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-328-9400.
• Monroe Police Department, 1811 12th Street, Monroe, WI 53566, 608-329-2400
• Brodhead Police Department, 1004 W. Exchange Street, Brodhead, WI 53520, 608-897-2112
• New Glarus Police Department, 313 Second Street, New Glarus, WI 53574, 608-527-2145
• Albany Police Department, 206 N. Water Street, Albany, WI 53502, 608-862-3255
• Monticello Police Department, 238 N. Main Street, Monticello, WI 53570, 608-938-4320
• Belleville Police Department, 61 Frederick Street, Belleville, WI 53508, 608-424-3129. Belleville straddles the line with Dane County.
• Brooklyn: Dane County deputies cover the village under a contract. Village hall: 102 N. Rutland Avenue, Brooklyn, WI 53521. Non-emergency calls go to Dane County dispatch, 608-255-2345.
• Wisconsin State Patrol, 911 West North Street, DeForest, WI 53532, 608-846-8500. Its DeForest Post serves this area.