In 2003, Congress enacted the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA), which set a zero tolerance standard for sexual abuse and sexual harassment of those criminally confined to a federal, state or local facility. National standards took effect in 2012, establishing clear requirements to prevent, detect, and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment in confinement.
DOC has zero tolerance for sexual abuse and sexual harassment.
The U.S. Department of Justice established federal standards for:
Executive Directive 72 details our commitment to this policy. The PREA Office:
- Educates and trains offenders, staff, and community partners regarding PREA;
- Reviews and conducts administrative investigations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment allegations;
- Provides technical assistance and interpretation of PREA standards;
- Coordinates PREA compliance and auditing; and
- Collects and analyzes data.
Community Members
Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) investigates all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment of inmates and youth in our custody, past and present. To report sexual abuse or sexual harassment, an inmate or youth may:
- Tell, or write to, any staff member;
- Call the internal or external reporting hotline;
- File a grievance;
- Contact local law enforcement; or
- Tell any family member, friend or support person.
To notify DOC on behalf of an inmate or youth, a third party may complete a
Report By Email. Please provide as much detail as possible, including:
- Inmate or youth full name
- Inmate or youth date of birth
- Inmate or youth DOC number
- Facility in which the incident occurred
- Facility in which the inmate or youth is currently housed (if different from above)
- Description of incident including date, locations, circumstances
- Suspect information
- Your contact information, if you wish to be contacted regarding this allegation
Reports from third parties may be discussed with the victim named in the report. Information related to the report will only be shared with those who need to know to ensure the victim's safety and begin an administrative investigation.
DOC refers all allegations that involve potentially criminal behavior to local law enforcement. DOC fully cooperates and collaborates with local law enforcement during an investigation to ensure that individuals involved are held accountable under criminal law and DOC administrative code.
Contracted Facilities
Agencies that are contracted by Wisconsin Department of Corrections to provide residential services must have policies and procedures in place to prevent, detect and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment of offenders. If your agency has a current contract with DOC for residential services and you wish to learn more about DOC's expectations and response procedure please review the following documents.
Volunteers and Contractors
Volunteers and contractors that perform services inside of a DOC facility shall understand their responsibilities to prevent, detect and respond to sexual abuse and sexual harassment. The level and type of training volunteers and contractors receive is dependent upon the service(s) they provide and level of contact they have with inmates. Below are documents that a volunteer or contractor may be directed, by their contract administrator or supervisor, to review and understand.
Note, Division of Adult Institutions (DAI) may provide alternate on-site training for volunteers. Volunteers will be given the opportunity to acknowledge the training they received following on-site training.
PREA Education
The following resources are available to adults and youth upon entry into a correctional facility:
Inmate PREA Education Handbook
Male Inmate PREA Education Video
Female Inmate PREA Education Video
Youth PREA Education Handbook
Youth PREA Education Video
Data
Annual Reports
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections collects and aggregates incident-based sexual abuse data. After analyzing such data, DOC posts an annual compilation of findings and corrective actions:
Survey of Sexual Victimization
The Survey of Sexual Victimization is an annual reporting requirement mandated by the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Agency surveys are collected and analyzed by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
Audit Reports
In accordance with PREA standards, DOC complies with all auditing requirements.
The federal Prison Rape Elimination Act requires one-third of DOC facilities to be audited each year, which results in every facility being audited every three years.
Black River Correctional Center
2016 2018 2022
Chippewa Valley Correctional Treatment Facility
2017 2018 2024
Columbia Correctional Institution
2017 2019 2022
Drug Abuse Correctional Center
2016 2018 2024
Dodge Correctional Institution
2017 2019 2023
Felmers Chaney Correctional Center
2016 2018 2020 2022
Flambeau Correctional Center
2016 2018 2019 2023
Fox Lake Correctional Institution
2017 2018 2022
Gordon Correctional Center
2016 2017 2020 2023
Green Bay Correctional Institution
2016 2018 2022
Grow Academy
2017 2019 2022
Jackson Correctional Institution
2016 2019 2022
John Burke Correctional Center
2016 2018 2022
Kenosha Correctional Center
2016 2019 2023
Kettle Moraine Correctional Institution
2016 2017 2020 2024
Lincoln Hills School/Copper Lake School
2016 2019 2022
Marshall E Sherrer Correctional Center 2016 2019 2022
McNaughton Correctional Center
2016 2018 2019 2023
Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility
2016 2019 2022
Milwaukee Women's Correctional Center
2016 2018 2021 2024
New Lisbon Correctional Institution
2016 2017 2023
Oakhill Correctional Institution
2016 2019 2023
Oregon Correctional Center
2016 2019 2023
Oshkosh Correctional Institution
2016 2019 2023
Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution 2016 2019 2022
Racine Correctional Institution/Sturtevant Transitional Facility 2016 (RCI)2016 (STF) 2019 2023
Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility
2017 2019 2023
Redgranite Correctional Institution 2016 2017 2022
Robert E Ellsworth Correctional Center
2016 2019 2023
St. Croix Correctional Center 2016 2018 2020 2023
Sanger B Powers Correctional Center
2016 2018 2022
Stanley Correctional Institution
2017 2019 2024
Taycheedah Correctional Institution
2016 2018 2021 2024
Thompson Correctional Center
2016 2018 2021
Waupun Correctional Institution
2017 2018 2022
Winnebago Correctional Center
2016 2018 2024
Wisconsin Resource Center
2017 2022 2024
Wisconsin Secure Program Facility
2015 2018 2021
Incidents
Overview
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections tracks all allegations of sexual abuse and sexual harassment. As noted above, all allegations are investigated and assigned one of the following administrative dispositions. Local law enforcement conducts criminal investigations when appropriate.
- Substantiated: Incident determined to have occurred.
- Unsubstantiated: The investigation produced insufficient evidence to make a final determination as to whether or not the incident occurred.
- Unfounded: Incident determined not to have occurred.
Incidents are listed below by the year in which they were reported. Incidents currently under investigation are not listed.
Sexual Abuse (Updated October 7th, 2024)
| 2012 | 23 | 92 | 117 |
| 2013 | 36 | 135 | 161 |
| 2014 | 34 | 163 | 118
|
| 2015 | 49 | 163
| 103 |
| 2016 | 40
| 171
| 131
|
| 2017 | 36 | 127 | 87 |
| 2018 | 27
| 143
| 65
|
2019
| 24
| 164
| 51
|
2020
| 26
| 131
| 57
|
2021
| 39
| 146
| 35
|
2022
| 24
| 184
| 45
|
2023
| 22
| 193
| 41
|
2024
| 13
| 97
| 29
|
Sexual Harassment (Updated October 7th, 2024)
| 2012 | 10 | 26 | 39 |
| 2013 | 48 | 90 | 72 |
| 2014 | 39 | 144 | 73 |
| 2015 | 59 | 202 | 59 |
| 2016 | 62 | 281
| 108
|
| 2017 | 27 | 102 | 49 |
| 2018 | 30
| 135
| 34
|
2019
| 49
| 136
| 39
|
2020
| 60
| 150
| 18
|
2021
| 45
| 128
| 15
|
2022
| 55
| 154
| 18
|
2023
| 54
| 158
| 15
|
2024
| 33
| 149
| 12
|
Resources
For additional information about sexual assault, sexual abuse in confinement and the Prison Rape Elimination Act, please explore the following resources.
