Center Information
All adult female correctional facilities, including Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center (REECC), Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center (
MWCC), and Taycheedah Correctional Institution, were joined together as the Wisconsin Women's Correctional System on August 21, 2005, falling under the supervision of the TCI warden. REECC is a minimum-security facility entrusted with the custody and supervision of adult female offenders.
REECC, located in Union Grove, was built in 1954 as part of the Southern Wisconsin Center and originally called Atherton Hall. In 1989, the Department of Corrections converted the then vacant building to a correctional facility, which was renamed Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center after Mr. Ellsworth, who had an illustrious 32-year career with the Department of Corrections. In 2015, renovation began on an annex building, which was opened in May of 2016 as an 84-bed treatment unit.
Services and Programs
REECC provides an extensive array of programs, such as education, substance abuse disorder (SUD), re-entry, family reintegration, grief counselling, religious instruction, and more.
The primary program offered at REECC is a moderate and high-risk SUD Earned Release Program (ERP). ERP utilizes Helping Women Recover; Beyond Violence; Seeking Safety; Connections; and Moving On curricula. The program is typically 14 to 16 weeks in length.
REEC's work release program offers inmates employment in nearby communities in various fields, such as industrial, food service, hair care, and customer service. The program helps to successfully reintegrate inmates into society by developing job skills, positive work ethic, and self-sufficiency skills. Employment also allows inmates the ability to pay child support, restitution, and other court ordered obligations, as well as to save money for their release.
A variety of educational opportunities are available to REECC inmates, including tutoring, GED/HSED preparation, correspondence courses, and technical/vocational education.
Community Enhancement
Inmates are given the opportunity to volunteer for various community service programs. Giving back to the community is a priority at the center and thousands of community service hours are completed each year.