Last Updated on: April 27, 2026
Finding help after incarceration is easier when you know which places actually work with people who have criminal records. Wisconsin has reentry programs, employment help, housing resources, substance abuse services, mental health support, and county based programs that can help you rebuild your life.
Notice: You may also find our “Reentry Survival Guide for Felons” helpful in addition to this page.
List Of Wisconsin Reentry Programs In Wisconsin
Project RETURN
Address: 2821 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., Suite 223, Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414 374 8029
Best For: People returning from prison in the Milwaukee area
What It Offers: Reentry support, mentoring, employment help, peer support, and case management
Wisconsin Department of Corrections Reentry Unit
Address: 3099 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53704
Phone: 608 240 5000
Best For: People currently incarcerated or recently released
What It Offers: State reentry planning, official resources, and program referrals
Opening Avenues to Reentry Success (OARS)
Address: 1 W. Wilson St., Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608 266 1865
Best For: Individuals with serious mental health needs leaving prison
What It Offers: Case management, treatment connections, and housing stability support
Home to Stay Reentry Resource Fairs
Address: Milwaukee locations vary
Phone: Check website for events
Best For: People who need multiple services in one place
What It Offers: Job help, housing resources, IDs, health care, GED programs, and legal help
Rock Valley Community Programs
Address: 203 W. Sunny Lane, Janesville, WI 53546
Phone: 608 741 4500
Best For: People needing housing and structured reentry
What It Offers: Transitional housing, treatment, and reentry services
Benedict Center
Address: 1849 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414 347 1774
Best For: Women impacted by the justice system
What It Offers: Trauma informed care, reentry services, and advocacy
The Community
Address: 2619 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 262 536 5841
Best For: People looking for peer support
What It Offers: Mentoring, leadership development, and community support
Nehemiah Center
Address: 633 W. Badger Rd., Madison, WI 53713
Phone: 608 257 2453
Best For: Madison area reentry support
What It Offers: Mentoring, leadership training, and reentry services
JustDane
Address: 128 E. Olin Ave., Madison, WI 53713
Phone: 608 256 0906
Best For: Dane County residents
What It Offers: Reentry support, housing help, and case management
Social Justice Center
Address: 1202 Williamson St., Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608 227 0206
Best For: Community resources and referrals
What It Offers: Resource guides, nonprofit connections, and support services
Racine Vocational Ministry
Address: 214 7th St., Racine, WI 53403
Phone: 262 633 8660
Best For: Employment support
What It Offers: Job coaching, case management, and reentry help
Employ Milwaukee
Address: 1322 N. 8th St., Milwaukee, WI 53205
Phone: 414 270 1700
Best For: Job placement after incarceration
What It Offers: Resume help, job placement, and training
Greater Milwaukee Urban League
Address: 435 W. North Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414 374 5850
Best For: Workforce development
What It Offers: Job training, education, and career support
Community Advocates
Address: 728 N. James Lovell St., Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: 414 449 4777
Best For: Emergency help
What It Offers: Housing, rent help, utilities, and crisis services
Wisconsin Community Services
Address: 3732 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone: 414 290 0400
Best For: Behavioral health and reentry
What It Offers: Housing, treatment, and case management
Running Rebels
Address: 1300 W. Fond Du Lac Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53205
Phone: 414 264 8222
Best For: Youth and young adults
What It Offers: Mentoring, education, and violence prevention
ARC Community Services
Address: 1409 Emil St., Madison, WI 53713
Phone: 608 278 2300
Best For: Women needing treatment
What It Offers: Substance abuse treatment and recovery support
Word of Hope Ministries
Address: 2677 N. 40th St., Milwaukee, WI 53210
Phone: 414 447 1965
Best For: Faith based support
What It Offers: Jobs, housing referrals, and GED help
Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities
Address: 605 E. Hancock St., Appleton, WI 54911
Phone: 920 731 6644
Best For: Housing help
What It Offers: Shelter and housing support
211 Wisconsin
Address: Statewide
Phone: 211
Best For: Immediate help anywhere in Wisconsin
What It Offers: Referrals for housing, food, treatment, and more
Halfway Houses and Transitional Housing in Wisconsin
Housing should be your first priority if you are unstable or homeless.
211 Wisconsin
Address: Statewide
Phone: 211
Best For: Immediate housing and shelter referrals
What It Offers: Connections to shelters, transitional housing, rent assistance, and emergency housing programs
Wisconsin Community Services
Address: 3732 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone: 414 290 0400
Best For: Structured housing and reentry support
What It Offers: Residential reentry programs, housing assistance, case management, and behavioral health services
Rock Valley Community Programs
Address: 203 W. Sunny Lane, Janesville, WI 53546
Phone: 608 741 4500
Best For: Transitional housing with treatment support
What It Offers: Residential reentry housing, substance abuse treatment, and structured support
Community Advocates
Address: 728 N. James Lovell St., Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: 414 449 4777
Best For: Emergency housing and rent assistance
What It Offers: Housing support, rent help, utility assistance, and homelessness prevention
Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities
Address: 605 E. Hancock St., Appleton, WI 54911
Phone: 920 731 6644
Best For: Housing support in the Fox Cities region
What It Offers: Shelter services, housing referrals, and stability programs
👉 Also read: Felon Friendly Apartments and Housing
Emergency Food and Basic Needs
If you need help right now, start here.
211 Wisconsin
Address: Statewide
Phone: 211
Best For: Immediate emergency help
What It Offers: Food pantries, shelters, clothing, transportation, and utility assistance
Community Advocates
Address: 728 N. James Lovell St., Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: 414 449 4777
Best For: Crisis support and basic needs
What It Offers: Rent assistance, energy help, housing support, and emergency services
Social Justice Center
Address: 1202 Williamson St., Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608 227 0206
Best For: Community resource connections
What It Offers: Referrals to food programs, nonprofits, and local assistance
👉 Also read: Financial Help for Felons
Health Care and Mental Health Help
If mental health or addiction is part of your situation, start here.
Opening Avenues to Reentry Success (OARS)
Address: 1 W. Wilson St., Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608 266 1865
Best For: Serious mental health needs after release
What It Offers: Case management, treatment coordination, and housing stability support
Wisconsin Community Services
Address: 3732 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone: 414 290 0400
Best For: Behavioral health and reentry support
What It Offers: Mental health services, treatment programs, housing, and case management
ARC Community Services
Address: 1409 Emil St., Madison, WI 53713
Phone: 608 278 2300
Best For: Women needing treatment and recovery
What It Offers: Substance abuse treatment, residential care, and family support
211 Wisconsin
Address: Statewide
Phone: 211
Best For: Finding local health care resources
What It Offers: Referrals for mental health services, clinics, and treatment programs
Legal Help and Expungement
Legal barriers can block jobs, housing, and stability.
Legal Action of Wisconsin
Address: Multiple locations statewide
Phone: See website for local office
Best For: Free or low cost legal help
What It Offers: Help with housing, employment issues, public benefits, and civil legal problems
Legal Tune Up
Address: Online service
Phone: Online only
Best For: Clearing legal barriers
What It Offers: Online tools for fixing issues related to records, employment, and housing
Home to Stay Reentry Resource Fairs
Address: Milwaukee locations vary
Phone: Check website
Best For: In person legal and reentry help
What It Offers: Expungement help, ID services, job resources, and legal assistance
👉 Also read: Background Check Laws Overview
Employment Help for Felons in Wisconsin
If you need a job, start here.
Employ Milwaukee
Address: 1322 N. 8th St., Milwaukee, WI 53205
Phone: 414 270 1700
Best For: Job placement after incarceration
What It Offers: Job training, resume help, and placement services
Project RETURN
Address: 2821 N. Vel R. Phillips Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414 374 8029
Best For: Employment and mentoring
What It Offers: Job readiness, mentoring, and reentry support
Racine Vocational Ministry
Address: 214 7th St., Racine, WI 53403
Phone: 262 633 8660
Best For: Job coaching
What It Offers: Employment support, life skills, and case management
Greater Milwaukee Urban League
Address: 435 W. North Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53212
Phone: 414 374 5850
Best For: Workforce development
What It Offers: Job training, education, and career programs
👉 Also read:
Jobs for Felons
Companies That Hire Felons
Substance Abuse Help
If addiction is part of your situation, handle it early.
ARC Community Services
Address: 1409 Emil St., Madison, WI 53713
Phone: 608 278 2300
Best For: Women needing recovery support
What It Offers: Treatment, counseling, and recovery programs
Rock Valley Community Programs
Address: 203 W. Sunny Lane, Janesville, WI 53546
Phone: 608 741 4500
Best For: Treatment with housing support
What It Offers: Substance abuse treatment, housing, and structured programs
Wisconsin Community Services
Address: 3732 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53208
Phone: 414 290 0400
Best For: Behavioral health and recovery
What It Offers: Treatment programs, housing support, and case management
211 Wisconsin
Address: Statewide
Phone: 211
Best For: Finding treatment programs near you
What It Offers: Referrals to detox, rehab, counseling, and support services
Other Helpful Resources
If you need more than reentry programs, these guides may help:
- Housing for Felons – Find housing options, second chance apartments, and practical tips.
- Companies That Hire Felons – See employers that may be more open to hiring people with records.
- Financial Help and Info – Learn about financial help, grant options, and emergency support.
- Food Stamps for Felons – Find out who qualifies and how to apply.
- Expungement and Record Sealing – Learn whether you may be able to clean up your record.
Notice: You may also find our “Reentry Survival Guide for Felons” helpful in addition to this page.
What Makes a Good Reentry Program
A good reentry program does more than hand someone a flyer and send them away. The best programs help with the real problems that usually hit first after release, like housing, ID, transportation, job search, food, clothing, recovery support, and staying on track with parole or probation. A strong program should feel practical. It should help you solve immediate problems while also helping you build toward long term stability.
Good reentry programs also have structure and real follow through. That usually means staff who return calls, clear intake steps, honest answers about what they can and cannot do, and connections to other services when they cannot help directly. The strongest programs often combine several things at once, like case management, mentoring, job readiness, housing help, recovery support, and community referrals. Programs that only offer one small service can still be useful, but the best ones usually help you build an actual plan.
Tips for Choosing a Reentry Program
Call before you go if you can. Ask what services they actually offer, who qualifies, what documents you need, whether they help people right after release, and whether they have waiting lists. This can save time and avoid wasted trips.
Ask specific questions. Do not just ask if they help with reentry. Ask if they help with housing, jobs, IDs, clothing, transportation, recovery, legal referrals, or case management. A lot of places sound helpful until you find out they only offer one narrow service.
Look for programs that connect you to other help. Even if one program cannot solve everything, a good one should know where to send you next. That matters a lot in reentry because most people need more than one kind of support.
Do not judge a program only by its website. Some very helpful programs have weak websites. Some polished websites do not actually provide much real help. What matters most is whether they answer the phone, explain the process clearly, and help people solve real problems.
If a program is full, ask what to do next. Ask if they know another program, another shelter, a workforce office, a church ministry, or a local county resource that may help sooner. One good referral can make a big difference.
Keep your paperwork together. If possible, carry your ID, release paperwork, Social Security card, birth certificate copies, parole or probation paperwork, resume, and any referral forms in one folder. That makes it easier to apply for multiple programs fast.
Follow up. A lot of people call once and stop. Reentry services can be overloaded. Sometimes the difference between getting help and not getting help is calling back, showing up on time, and staying on their radar.
Disclaimer
This page is for general informational purposes only. Programs, addresses, phone numbers, services, and eligibility rules can change. Always verify details directly with the organization before relying on them. Nothing on this page should be considered legal advice.
