Adults arrested on felony or misdemeanor charges in Waushara County are booked at the Waushara County Jail at this address:
430 East Division
Wautoma, WI 54982
The sheriff’s office books its own arrests, and police departments from communities across the county bring their arrestees here as well, since most Wisconsin municipalities do not keep people overnight. During intake, jail staff photograph and fingerprint each person, record their property, run warrant checks and complete a medical and mental health screening before housing.
Troopers from the Wisconsin State Patrol also book people here, and the jail may hold federal detainees for the U.S. Marshals. People wanted by ICE may be turned over to federal agents after their local case is resolved.
Wisconsin is one of the few states that outlaws commercial bail bonding, so there are no bail bond agents. Instead, a court commissioner or judge sets either a signature bond, which requires no money up front, or a cash bail amount that must be paid in full, often by family. People held without a warrant must receive a judicial probable cause determination within 48 hours of arrest. The Bail page explains how to post cash bail.
The list of people booked comes from the sheriff’s official booking list (opens in a new tab) or an official statewide jail list. Where county policy allows, listings may show a booking photo along with charges and the arresting agency. Call the Waushara County Jail at 920-787-6591 if any detail is unclear.
From arrival to a housing unit, or to release, booking usually takes two hours to a full day, depending on how many people are already waiting.
No Wisconsin law requires or bans cooperation with ICE, so practices vary by county. Most sheriffs honor ICE detainers, and a growing number, including the sheriffs in Brown, Waukesha, Outagamie and Winnebago counties, have signed 287(g) agreements. Milwaukee County and Dane County limit their participation in immigration enforcement.
Call the Waushara County Jail at 920-787-6591 to check whether someone has recently been booked.
You may hear an automated menu or reach a jail staff member, who might ask for the person’s birth date to confirm you have the right individual.
New arrests sometimes take a few hours to be entered, so a quick call right after the arrest may come up empty.
You can also search the Waushara County Jail Booking Roster online.
After the arrest and Miranda warnings, the person is driven to the Waushara County Jail or to a police station in Waushara County for booking.
Booking involves a series of steps. Most defense lawyers advise people not to talk about the arrest, because conversations in jail, including phone calls, may be recorded and used in the case.
Booking includes a photo, fingerprints and questions about health and background. Wisconsin law requires a DNA sample from adults arrested for a violent crime. Warrant checks cover Waushara County, the rest of Wisconsin and national systems.
A driver arrested for OWI who refuses a chemical test faces license revocation, and blood is generally drawn only with consent or a warrant.
Wisconsin law limits strip searches of people arrested for misdemeanors and civil violations: they may not be strip-searched unless the arrest involves a weapon or violence, or a jail supervisor approves based on probable cause that the person is concealing a weapon or evidence. Felony arrestees may be strip-searched before housing.
Staff ask about medications, medical and mental health conditions, allergies, drug or alcohol use, suicide risk, tattoos and gang membership. These responses guide housing decisions and medical care.
All personal items are taken, inventoried and stored until release. With the person’s written permission, staff can release some property to a friend or family member.
Stored property includes clothing, cash, wallets, purses, phones, jewelry, piercings and watches. Glasses can be withheld for safety reasons, and laces are removed from shoes the person keeps.
Next, the person is generally allowed a phone call to let someone know about the arrest or to arrange cash bail.
Those held until their initial appearance are issued jail clothing, footwear, bedding, a towel and toiletries.
A shower is often required before changing into jail clothing, and some jails apply a lice or scabies treatment at the same time.
Booking can be finished within an hour or take a day or longer. It depends on how busy the booking area is, how many officers are working and how the person behaves.
Someone who arrives very intoxicated or combative may spend several hours in a holding cell before booking is completed.