Washburn County Jail Overview
Washburn County Jail is operated by the Washburn County Sheriff's Office at the Law Enforcement Center in Shell Lake. The official sheriff jail page describes it as a 30-bed county jail constructed in 1991. It is located on the second floor of the sheriff's office, with the dispatch center at the heart of the jail, and a secure hallway connects the jail to the courthouse. That arrangement matters for first appearances, bond processing, and court movement because the jail and court complex are physically linked.
The jail holds adults at the county stage of the criminal process. That includes people arrested in Washburn County, pretrial detainees, sentenced county inmates, Huber or work-release eligible inmates, probation holds, court and warrant holds, and accepted out-of-county holds. It is not a Wisconsin DOC prison, federal prison, or ICE detention facility. Those systems have their own locator paths after transfer or sentence.
The official Washburn County Jail page shows the county's facility description and jail subpage navigation.
Use that sheriff page as the local authority for the current jail description and bed count.
Washburn County Jail Capacity
The sheriff's official jail page lists Washburn County Jail as a 30-bed facility. Vera's 2025 county row reports an average daily population of 9.5 and a 30-bed capacity, while the Wisconsin DOC Office of Detention Facilities annual report lists 511 adult jail admissions for Washburn County in 2025. Recent Vera rows show the small jail operating below its current stated capacity, so current content should not describe a documented overcrowding crisis unless later county records change that picture.
Lookup Washburn County Jail Inmates
The correct lookup channel for Washburn County Jail is the sheriff's Current Confinements page and the current-inmate PDF linked through it. The researched PDF was dated July 1, 2026 and showed front mugshot, last and first name, birth year, hold reasons, and remaining bond total. No interactive official search fields were located.
- Open the sheriff's Current Confinements page.
- Open the latest current-inmate PDF.
- Use the PDF viewer find tool or scan by last name.
- Confirm identity with name, birth year, and front mugshot when shown.
- If the person is not listed, call the jail at 715-468-4726 and check WCCA, DOC, VINELink, BOP, or ICE as needed.
| Lookup Need | Use This Channel |
|---|---|
| Current Washburn County Jail custody | Sheriff current-inmate PDF or jail phone. |
| Filed charges after arrest | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and the Clerk of Circuit Court. |
| Sentenced state custody | Wisconsin DOC Offender Locator. |
| Custody alerts | Wisconsin VINELink. |
| Federal or immigration custody | BOP Inmate Locator or ICE ODLS. |
Washburn County Jail Address
Use the jail phone for current custody questions and immediate facility questions. The sheriff contact page also lists administration, dispatch, the jail line, the tip line, and the office email. The same physical address is used by the sheriff's office and jail.
Washburn County Jail
421 Highway 63
Shell Lake, WI 54871
715-468-4726
Dispatch: 715-468-4720
Administration: 715-468-4700
Inmate Mail Format
Inmate First name Last name
421 Highway 63
P.O. Box 429
Shell Lake, WI 54871
The sheriff's contact page lists the office address, jail phone, dispatch phone, and email.
Those contacts are useful when the PDF roster is stale, unclear, or missing a person expected to be in local custody.
Visiting Washburn County Jail
Personal visits are video-based at the sheriff's office. Visitors check in at the front desk with valid ID, and the inmate must have the visitor on the approved list. The approved list can include seven immediate family members and three non-family members and can be changed monthly. Inmates are allowed two 30-minute visits per day. All visits are monitored and recorded.
| Visit Type | Schedule | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Personal video | Monday 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | Front desk check-in; valid ID; approved list required. |
| Personal video | Tuesday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | First come first served; no personal contact. |
| Legal holidays | Closed | No personal visitation. |
| Professional | Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m.-11:45 a.m., 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. | Attorneys, probation, clergy, program volunteers, and approved government or county visitors. |
Professional visitors are told not to bring personal electronic devices, including cell phones, computers, and tablets, into visits. Items for inmates must first be approved by jail staff. Alternate professional visit times may be approved by jail staff.
Mail Phone and Money
Mail must include a valid sender name and return address or it will not be delivered until release. Incoming and outgoing mail is subject to scanning and contraband inspection. CIDNET is used for prepaid phone calls, video visits, and text or picture messages. JailATM is used for online deposits, and money can also be mailed or deposited at the sheriff lobby kiosk.
| Service | Provider or Rule |
|---|---|
| Use inmate name, 421 Highway 63, P.O. Box 429, Shell Lake, WI 54871. | |
| Return address | Required with sender name, or mail is held until release. |
| Phone, video, messages | CIDNET friends and family account. |
| Online deposits | JailATM.com. |
| Lobby deposits | Sheriff's office main lobby kiosk. |
| Account uses | Phone time, commissary, bond, and applicable fees. |
The official commissary page explains deposit options for Washburn County Jail accounts.
Confirm custody before sending funds because release or transfer can change how money and mail should be handled.
Booking Bond and Release
A person can enter Washburn County Jail after arrest on a new charge, warrant, commitment, probation hold, or out-of-county detainer. Jail staff confirm identity, document the custody basis, secure property, and create the jail record. The current-inmate PDF is the public output most closely tied to that booking process, but it is not a full incident report or court file.
Bond is accepted every day and at all hours. Cash is preferred, credit cards are accepted with service fees through PayTrust Solutions, and checks are not accepted. During normal business hours, bond is posted at the Clerk of Court office; after hours, the sheriff's office main lobby is used. Probation holds and some out-of-county holds may prevent release even when other bond issues are satisfied.
- Cash bond
- Money paid for release, subject to bond conditions.
- Signature bond
- A signed promise to return to court and follow release terms.
- Commitment
- An unpaid citation that became a warrant-like commitment; pay the fine or serve the stated days.
- Probation hold
- A supervision hold that does not clear by paying a jail bond unless DOC releases it.
Huber and Jail Programs
Washburn County publishes local Huber information. A person sentenced to serve jail time at Washburn County Jail and currently employed or enrolled in qualifying school may be able to continue employment or schooling if Huber law and jail requirements are met. The sheriff recommends that future inmates contact a Huber Officer and pick up a Huber packet before serving because requirements and paperwork are strict.
| Program | Washburn County Detail |
|---|---|
| Huber / work release | For eligible sentenced inmates who meet jail requirements. |
| Huber transfer | Possible for some people sentenced in another county, subject to strict paperwork. |
| Huber contact | 715-468-4720, fax 715-468-4729, Huber@co.washburn.wi.us. |
| Electronic monitoring | County materials describe GPS and alcohol-sensing technology as an alternative or condition. |
| Community service | Eligible county jail inmates can receive one day off for every three days worked at an approved site. |
Washburn County Jail Records Requests
The roster PDF is current custody information. For incident reports, booking-related material, or a booking photo not visible in the PDF, use the sheriff records process. Requests should include dates, persons involved, and location. Incident report requests may be mailed to Washburn County Sheriff's Office, Incident Reports, 421 Highway 63, P.O. Box 429, Shell Lake, WI 54871; emailed to lawenfor@co.washburn.wi.us; or faxed to 715-468-4715.
The sheriff records page says incident reports cost $0.25 per page plus postage, with extra fees for CDs, DVDs, or photographs. Redaction may be required to protect personal or private information. Filed charges and court documents are separate and should be checked through WCCA or the Clerk of Circuit Court.
About Washburn County Jail
The sheriff's jail page lists Captain Gretchen Nielsen as Jail Administrator. It also lists three Dispatch/Jail Sergeants, 13 full-time Dispatch/Jail Deputies, two part-time Transport Deputies, and one Registered Nurse. Kitchen services are subcontracted. The research did not locate a public inmate handbook, grievance procedure, detailed medical request rules, housing-unit layout, or accreditation status on the official pages reviewed.
Note: Confirm custody, visitor approval, and current schedules with Washburn County Jail before travel, deposits, or mail.