Help after prison or jail in Wisconsin
We've found 14 places in Wisconsin for people after prison or jail, mostly in Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay, and 6 that serve the whole state. Our volunteers haven't confirmed these yet, so a quick call ahead is worth it. Most of them help with shelter & housing (8), food (6) and health & medication (5).
Places in Wisconsin
211 Wisconsin
Free, confidential information line covering more than 5,000 community programs across Wisconsin. In Milwaukee County it is also the entry point to IMPACT Coordinated Entry for emergency shelter and housing. Dial 211, text your ZIP code, or chat online.
Division of Community Corrections
The DOC division that supervises people on probation, parole and extended supervision statewide and handles community reentry planning with the institutions. People coming home from a Wisconsin prison are assigned an agent through this division.
Wisconsin Vital Records Office
Issues certified Wisconsin birth certificates by mail, online or phone through VitalChek. Mail orders cost $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy of the same record. Walk-in counter service is closed; county Register of Deeds offices also issue many records.
Wisconsin ID Card
A first-time Wisconsin state ID card requires an in-person visit to a DMV customer service center with form MV3004 and proof documents. A free ID for voting is available through the ID Petition Process for people who lack a birth certificate or other documents.
FoodShare and BadgerCare via ACCESS
FoodShare is Wisconsin's SNAP program; ACCESS is the state portal for applying for FoodShare, BadgerCare Plus (Medicaid) and other benefits and managing a case. ForwardHealth Member Services answers questions and arranges free language assistance.
Project RETURN
Milwaukee reentry organization run for and by people who have been incarcerated. Offers housing help, Circles of Support, employment assistance, AODA support, and advocacy. New clients can walk in without an appointment two mornings a week.
JustDane
Dane County social justice agency whose Circles of Support and Journey Home programs give people leaving prison a support network, peer support and help with the practical steps of coming home. Just Bakery offers paid vocational training to people with conviction histories or other barriers to work.
Guest House of Milwaukee
Short-term shelter for men experiencing homelessness in Milwaukee, paired with housing placement, behavioral health and case management. Shelter beds are assigned through the county's 211 coordinated entry system rather than by walking in.
Milwaukee Rescue Mission
Faith-based mission on Milwaukee's near west side running Safe Harbor shelter for men and Joy House shelter for women and children, with hot meals daily. Each shelter has its own direct line.
Repairers of the Breach
Milwaukee's daytime homeless shelter, open six days a week with breakfast and lunch through the Breach Cafe, showers, hygiene supplies, clean and interview clothing, a free medical clinic and employment help.
Porchlight Men's Shelter
Overnight shelter for adult men in Madison. Beds are offered from a waitlist managed through HMIS, so the first step is connecting with a day shelter or street outreach team; a shuttle runs from The Beacon to the shelter each afternoon for enrolled guests.
The Beacon
Daytime drop-in center for men, women and children experiencing homelessness in Dane County. Free lunch, showers, laundry, mail and phones, day storage, housing navigation, job search help and ID assistance, seven days a week.
New Community Shelter
Green Bay's 98-bed emergency shelter for homeless adult men and women, staffed 24 hours a day, with on-site transitional apartments. The community meal program serves dinner every day of the year and lunch on weekends and holidays to anyone who is hungry.
Legal Action Wisconsin
Statewide civil legal aid (merged with Judicare Legal Aid in 2026) with a dedicated Reentry practice covering criminal records, driver's license recovery, pardons, evictions, public benefits, and services for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Apply by phone or any time online.
National lines that work in Wisconsin
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Call or text 988 for any mental health or substance use crisis. Available to anyone in any program.
Lifeline free phone program
Free or discounted phone and service for people on Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or low income. Apply online or through a carrier.