The locator lists people who are in custody at this moment. Try it this way:

1. Open the In Custody Locator in your browser.
2. Start with the surname only. If many names appear, add the given name too.
3. Still too many names? Choose a gender and enter a four-digit birth year.
4. Click the person's row to read bail, custody date, court date and court branch.
5. Double-click the row for case details.
6. Phone the jail for the booking number, which is the jail's own ID number. Staff and the mail room both use it.

The Sheriff's Office adds a warning: do not lean on this page for any legal action, because it can hold errors. A booking does not prove guilt. For a firm answer, phone Jail Records.

Check these causes one by one:

• Booking is not done. It can take hours after an arrest. Look again later.
• They are already free. Someone may have paid bail, a judge may have released the person, or a signed promise may have ended the hold.
• The spelling differs. Try initials, a nickname spelled out, a double last name or a former name. Leave the other boxes blank.
• They are at a police station. Some people wait there before a ride to the jail. Check the police directory below.
• They are in Franklin. The locator never says whether it lists the center's residents, so phone 414-427-4700.
• Another agency has them. Federal officers, immigration officers or a different county may be holding them.
• They are a child. Records for children are private.

Jail Records, at 414-226-7070, can settle it. That office sits on G-Level, which is the ground floor there.

Two adult sites belong to the county, and a person could be in either.

• Milwaukee County Jail, 949 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-226-7070. The Sheriff's Office runs this main jail. People waiting for trial are held here. Youths aged 14 to 17 who face adult charges are held here too.
• Community Reintegration Center, 8885 S. 68th Street, Franklin, WI 53132, 414-427-4700. It was once called the House of Correction. It holds adult men and women who were sentenced in the county, and the Sheriff can ask it to hold people waiting for trial. Huber release and electronic monitoring run from this site, so no separate Huber building exists. A superintendent reports to the County Executive, not to the Sheriff.

We found no separate women's jail. To learn where a woman is housed, ask Jail Records.

If officers grabbed the person near the border, or for a neighbor's warrant, also check these:

• Ozaukee County Jail to the north, in Port Washington. Ask the Sheriff's general line for its address and phone.
• Waukesha County Jail to the west, 515 W. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha, WI 53188, 262-548-7170
• Waukesha County Huber Facility, 1400 Northview Road, Waukesha, WI 53188, 262-548-7181, where sentenced people can leave for jobs
• Racine County Jail to the south, 717 Wisconsin Avenue, Racine, WI 53403, 262-636-3929

Lake Michigan forms the east side. For anyone under 18, read the juvenile answer.

Each result on the locator has an image box labeled "Click to View Image." Find your person and click it to learn if a mugshot opens. We could not test every case, so a photo may be missing for some people.

You may also ask for a booking photo under sections 19.31 through 19.39 of the Wisconsin Statutes. The records custodian rules on each request. The Sheriff's records line is 414-226-7085. State guidance says a record starts out open, and the requester owes no name or purpose. Police files about children are closed.

• News staff use the same request path through the Sheriff's Office.
• To get an ICE photo, file with the ICE FOIA page.
• The public cannot get federal mugshots. The one exception is the U.S. Marshals Service, which can release a photo when it is looking for a fugitive.

Use both of these.

• VINE. This free state service for county jails lets anyone see whether a person sits in one, and which. You can also set up alerts for a release or a move, with no name needed. English, Spanish and Hmong are offered. Open Wisconsin VINE or dial 888-944-8463. We could not confirm which local jails take part, so also phone the jail.
• Victim Witness Services in the District Attorney's office, 821 W. State Street, Room 405, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-278-4667, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It supports crime victims, and its web page points to VINE.

Look at the locator daily too. If the name vanishes, ask Jail Records whether the person went home or went elsewhere.

Whether the person goes free is up to a judge at the first court appearance, which state law sets for a reasonable time after arrest. If officers had no warrant, a judge has to rule on probable cause, generally within about two days. Often the person appears by video from the jail.

• A judge may release someone with no money down, or on a bond you sign that costs money only after a missed hearing.
• Cash bail is used only when money seems necessary to make the person come back. For violent charges, the judge can also think about danger to others.
• Paid bail bondsmen are banned (Wis. Stat. ch. 969). A family member pays the whole amount in cash, and it may come back later.
• Held three days past the first appearance with terms they can't meet? The judge must take another look at them.

To pay, use the Cashier's Office or the kiosk on G-Level of the Criminal Justice Facility, with a valid ID. The jail accepts cash, cashier's checks, money orders and major credit cards. Write a cashier's check to "Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office." Keep your receipt. A commissary balance may also cover a person's own bail.

When the case ends, a refund is mailed in roughly three weeks. Refund questions go to the Criminal Division at 414-278-4538. Our bail page gives every step, and the Wisconsin bail law guide covers the rules.

An arrest and a charge are different things. The District Attorney chooses what to file. The adult office is at 821 W. State Street, Suite 405, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-278-4646.

After a case is opened, type the person's name into Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, a free state site. It lists each charge, the next hearings and the status of the case. It does not show who sits in jail. Courthouse computers offer it too. The locator's case details may help, and Jail Records can read you the booking charge.

At the first appearance the judge states the charge aloud, and the person receives the complaint in writing. For a felony, a preliminary hearing comes within 10 days if bail over $500 keeps the person locked up, or within 20 days if they are out.

A lawyer is discussed at the first hearing. Anyone who says money is short is referred to the State Public Defender. That agency serves adults facing a misdemeanor or felony who pass its income test. Applying takes around 15 minutes at the office for the county where the case sits.

• Adult cases: Milwaukee Trial Office, 819 N. 6th Street, Room 908, Milwaukee, WI 53203, 414-227-4130
• Youth and mental health cases: 10930 W. Potter Road, Suite D, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, 414-266-1182

When the agency turns someone down, the court may appoint counsel at county expense. Hiring your own attorney is also possible. Details are on the how to apply page.

The two sites work differently.

Downtown jail. Family, friends and lawyers can use video visits. Create an account and book a slot on the Sheriff's web page, where a fee list is linked. We found no posted visiting hours, so call 414-226-7070 before you plan. Staff watch and record each visit. Recording one yourself costs the person visits for good. People inside also receive tablets.

Franklin center. Visitors come in person on Saturday or Sunday between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. The address is 8885 S. 68th Street, Franklin, WI 53132.

• Book on the scheduling site named by the center, between one week and 24 hours ahead.
• Each visit runs 30 minutes, and arriving late eats into it.
• You may come on only one of the two days. Up to two adults plus two kids may come together.
• Do not bring phones, tablets, strollers, car seats, diaper bags, food, drinks or gum.
• Wear tidy, family-friendly clothes.

A visit can be called off on short notice for health or discipline. See our visiting guide for extra advice.

An account is opened when the person is booked. It buys snacks, hygiene items and calls, and it can pay the person's own bail. The Sheriff's page lists four ways to add money:

• Online at the Access Corrections website, the service the Sheriff names.
• By phone at 866-345-1884, around the clock, with Visa or MasterCard.
• At a kiosk. One stands in the jail lobby, one on G-Level and one in the Franklin center lobby. The jail lobby kiosks never close.
• In cash at a store. Register with CashPayToday to get a barcode, then pay at stores such as Dollar General, Family Dollar, CVS or 7-Eleven.

You may add $300 a day, and a deposit may need a full day to show up. Questions about money go to the Cashier's Office at 414-226-7172. Never send cash in the mail. More tips: money guide and commissary guide.

Calls go out only. People inside cannot take incoming calls. A family member can load a prepaid call account, and any other call arrives as a collect call. Others may hear or record calls, so keep case details for your lawyer.

We found no confirmed text or email service at either site. Ask Jail Records at 414-226-7070 which tools are on offer, such as tablets. Two more references: our phone page and our email and text page.

Write the address on four lines:

1. The person's full name
2. Booking number, housing unit and cell number
3. 949 N. 9th Street
4. Milwaukee, WI 53233

Your own full name and complete address must appear as the return address on every letter. All incoming mail is scanned for contraband before delivery.

• Okay to send: letters, photos no bigger than 4x6 (no Polaroids), cashier's checks and money orders. UPS, FedEx and USPS all work.
• Not okay: greeting cards. The person gets a copy, and the card itself goes into property.
• Reading material: softcover books and magazines that come directly from the publisher or a store.

When a piece is rejected, you get a notice within 3 business days. You have 14 days to appeal in writing. Mail for a person who has already left comes back to you. For the Franklin center, phone 414-427-4700 and ask for its exact mail address first. See our mail guide too.

The jail keeps a person's things until release. A friend or relative who picks them up must be 18 or older, carry valid photo ID, and be named on a Property Release form. The person inside must request that form at least 24 hours early. Only approved items go out. The property room number is 414-226-7171.

The property room never handles cash. Money matters go to the Cashier's Office on the same level as Jail Records. You may also leave weather-ready clothes, such as a coat and boots, for the person to wear on release day.

Before a jury trial, you can drop off suit coats, sweaters, shirts and pants at the visiting desk, 949 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233, with ID. Come no earlier than 48 hours before. Hangers, shoes, belts, ties and socks are turned away, and you get a signed receipt.

A contracted health company gives medical, dental and mental health care at the downtown jail. Phone the Sheriff's Inmate Health Services line, 414-226-7134, and have the drug name, dosage and prescriber ready. For an emergency, dial 911.

Under state jail rules, care cannot be refused because a person is broke. Staff must examine each new arrival within two weeks, and every jail needs a complaint process with an appeal. The Franklin center holds a national accreditation for health care. Call its main line, 414-427-4700, with medical worries about someone there.

Deputies and local police serve warrants. The Sheriff's Warrants line is 414-278-4713. The Warrants Desk is inside Jail Records on G-Level, 949 N. 9th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233. Call your town's police too. Type the name into Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, since a missed hearing can show there. Speak with a lawyer, then either surrender at the jail or call the clerk about getting a new date. The Clerk of Circuit Court, Criminal Division, sits in the Safety Building, 821 W. State Street, Room 117, Milwaukee, WI 53233.

The locator shows a court date and branch for many people. Each office below answers for its own cases:

• Crimes and traffic: Clerk of Circuit Court, Safety Building, 821 W. State Street, Room 117, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-278-4538
• Children's cases: Children's Division, 10201 W. Watertown Plank Road, Room 1530, Milwaukee, WI 53226, 414-257-7700
• Civil suits only: Courthouse, 901 N. 9th Street, Room 104, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-278-5362. Do not use this number for a crime.

A city or village ticket belongs to a municipal court, and the ticket names it. Our court guide shows the steps of a case.

The federal courthouse for this area, in the Milwaukee Division of the Eastern District, is at 517 E. Wisconsin Ave., Room 362, Milwaukee, WI 53202, and the clerk's number is 414-297-3372.

1. A judge may hold a detention hearing under 18 U.S.C. 3142 to decide between jail and release until trial.
2. The U.S. Marshals Service oversees federal detainees. The downtown jail has an agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service to house federal detainees. The Marshals' office is at 517 E. Wisconsin Ave., Room 711, Milwaukee, WI 53202, 414-297-3707.
3. If money is tight, Federal Defender Services provides lawyers at 411 E. Wisconsin Ave., Suite 2310, Milwaukee, WI 53202, 414-221-9900.
4. Following sentencing, find the person with the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

1. ICE may use Form I-247A, a detainer, to ask the jail to hold a person up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
2. Ask the Sheriff's Office, 414-278-4700, how it treats detainers. We found no Wisconsin statute about them.
3. ICE then collects the person. ICE has used two Wisconsin jails: the Dodge County Jail (Juneau) and, for brief stays, the Sauk County Jail.
4. Search the ICE Online Detainee Locator using the person's full name and whatever details the form asks for. When the search shows no match, phone the ICE Chicago Field Office, 101 W. Ida B. Wells Dr., Suite 4000, Chicago, IL 60605, 872-351-3990.

The ICE site in Milwaukee, 310 E. Knapp Street, Milwaukee, WI 53202, 414-792-7198, handles check-ins and holds no one.

When a judge orders a prison term for a felony, the Department of Corrections spends about 8 to 12 weeks on intake, testing and placement. Next, a placement is made at a prison that fits. The main men's intake site allows no visits for the first three days.

• Use the DOC Inmate and Offender Search with the person's name.
• Our Wisconsin state prisons guide explains visits and mail.

A felony committed on or after Dec. 31, 1999 brings a split sentence: first confinement, then extended supervision at home. These cases do not get parole.

Wisconsin law counts age 17 as adulthood for criminal charges, so the adult jail and adult court handle them. The downtown jail runs high school classes for 14- to 17-year-olds held there.

A child younger than 17 goes through county juvenile intake, which decides about secure detention. A youth normally needs an in-person intake interview before detention, with a few narrow exceptions. Kids held in custody see a judge within 24 hours, counted from the close of the day the hold was decided. That clock skips weekend days and legal holidays.

Juvenile court meets at the Vel R. Phillips Youth & Family Justice Center, 10201 W. Watertown Plank Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226. The county's 32-bed secure care center for youth is inside it. To find out where a child is, phone the Children's Division at 414-257-7700. Because children's files are closed to the public, the adult locator will not list them.

The booking agency is whoever made the arrest. The state estimates 945,292 residents in the county as of Jan. 1, 2025. These are the agencies we found.

City of Milwaukee

• Milwaukee Police Department. Non-emergency 414-933-4444. District lines: District 1 (east of 16th St.) 414-935-7212, District 3 (west of 16th St.) 414-935-7232, District 5 414-935-7252, District 7 414-935-7272. Domestic violence and sexual assault line: 414-286-2997.

North side and lakeshore

• Bayside Police, 9075 N. Regent Road, Bayside, WI 53217, 414-206-3916
• Brown Deer Police, 4800 W. Green Brook Drive, Brown Deer, WI 53223, 414-371-2900
• Fox Point Police, 7300 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Fox Point, WI 53217, 414-351-8911
• Glendale Police, 5909 N. Milwaukee River Parkway, Glendale, WI 53209, 414-228-1753
• Shorewood Police, 4057 N. Wilson Dr., Shorewood, WI 53211, 414-847-2610
• Whitefish Bay Police, 5300 N. Marlborough Dr., Whitefish Bay, WI 53217, 414-351-9900. Shorewood and Whitefish Bay share this dispatch line.

West and southwest

• Wauwatosa Police, 1700 N. 116th Street, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, 414-471-8430
• West Allis: the city's police page lists only City Hall, 7525 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis, WI 53214, 414-302-2489. Call and ask for the police.
• Greenfield Police, 5300 W. Layton Avenue, Greenfield, WI 53220, 414-761-5300
• Greendale Police, 5911 W. Grange Avenue, Greendale, WI 53129, 414-423-2121
• Hales Corners Police, 5635 S. New Berlin Road, Hales Corners, WI 53130, 414-529-6140
• Franklin Police, 9455 W. Loomis Road, Franklin, WI 53132, 414-425-2522

South

• Oak Creek Police, 301 W. Ryan Road, Oak Creek, WI 53154, 414-766-7640
• Cudahy Police, 5050 S. Lake Drive, Cudahy, WI 53110, 414-769-2260

For South Milwaukee, River Hills, St. Francis and West Milwaukee, ask the Sheriff's general line, listed below, which agency holds the person.

Campus police

• UWM Police, 3351 N. Downer Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53211, 414-229-4627
• Marquette University Police, 749 N. 16th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-288-6800

Sheriff and State Patrol

• Sheriff's Office, 821 W. State Street, Room 107, Milwaukee, WI 53233, 414-278-4700. The Patrol Division line is 414-454-4100.
• Wisconsin State Patrol, Waukesha Post, 21115 E. Moreland Blvd., Waukesha, WI 53186, 262-785-4700. This post covers the county.