Badger State Industries (BSI) is the Wisconsin Department of Correction’s prison industries program. BSI provides vocational training and work skills development to participating inmates. While teaching sound manufacturing and production techniques to inmate employees, BSI brings quality products and services to state, county, municipal and nonprofit agencies.

Prison Industries was established in 1913. Industries was originally conceived as the means to provide inmates in the Wisconsin prison system with the work ethic and skills needed for them to successfully reintegrate into society. That purpose has remained to this day.

Under the umbrella of the Bureau of Correctional Enterprises, Badger State Industries currently operates 11 traditional industries within 10 correctional facilities.  Those industries include:

• Printing/Duplicating Industry
• Wood Furniture
• Office/Systems Furniture
• Seating
• Detention Furniture
• Textile Products
• Signage (New)
• Signage Recycled
• Screen Print and Embroidery
• Metal Stamping (License Plates)
• Laundry (Corrections and DHFS institutions)

Under the same umbrella, the Bureau operates an Agri-business that includes:

• Two dairy farms, milking 420 cows
• State of the art creamery which provides milk and ice cream to DOC institutions
• One steer feedlot
• One cash crop operation

And the Bureau operates two recycling programs:

·        A Computer Recycling Program that employs 75 inmates in four institutions. Associated with this program are two vocational programs in desktop hardware and software.

·        A Wheelchair Recycling Program that employs 12 inmates in two institutions. This program is partnered with a non-profit Wisconsin organization serving low income residents.

And lastly the Bureau supports its Inmate Transition Program

·        The BCE Transition, or reentry initiative assists former BSI employees with their reintegration back into society

·        Assist with preparation of portfolio, certifications and resume

·        Job required clothing/tools assistance

·        Housing assistance

At Badger State Industries workers take pride in their jobs. BSI is a vocational training program within our prison system that works for offenders, produces quality goods and services at a competitive price for a variety of agencies and pays for itself with funding generated through sound manufacturing and marketing methods.

Wisconsin Statute, Prison Labor, 303.01 (b) and (d) define BSI'S market.

S. 303.01 (b) reads in part: "…Except as provided in par. (d), prison industries may engage in manufacturing articles for and providing services to the state and its political subdivisions and any tax-supported institution or non-profit agency and for the sale of such articles and services to other states or political subdivisions thereof or to the United States. The department shall fix the price of all products and services as near the market price as possible…"

S. 303.01 (d) reads: "Prison industries may sell wood and metal office furniture and laundry services only to state agencies, as defined in s. 20.001(1)."

Note 1 20.001 (1) reads: "State agency" means any office, department or independent agency in the executive branch of Wisconsin state government, the legislature and the courts."

Note 2 Wood and metal furniture for non-office applications can be sold to all market segments.

Department of Administration Purchasing Requirements

Wisconsin Statute, Department of Administration, 16.72 (2)(d) and 16.75 (3t)(c) define state agency requirements to purchase from prison industries.

S. 16.72 (2)(d) reads: "Except as permitted in s. 16.751, to the extent possible, the department and any other designated purchasing agent under s. 16.71 (1) shall write specifications for the purchase of materials, supplies, commodities, equipment and contractual services so as to permit their purchase from prison industries, as created under s. 303.01 (1)."

Note 1 16.751 describes Information technology purchases by the investment board.

S. 16.75 (3t)(c) reads in part: "The department of corrections shall periodically provide to the department of administration a current list of all materials, supplies, equipment or contractual services, excluding commodities, that are supplied by prison industries, as created under s. 303.01 (1). The department of administration shall distribute the list to all designated purchasing agents under s. 16.71 (1). Prior to seeking bids or competitive sealed proposals with respect to the purchase of any materials, supplies, equipment or contractual services enumerated in the list, the department of administration or any other designated purchasing agent under s. 16.71(1) shall offer prison industries the opportunity to supply the materials, supplies, equipment or contractual services if the department of corrections is able to provide them at a price comparable to one which may be obtained through competitive bidding or competitive sealed proposals and is able to conform to the specifications, provided the specifications are written in accordance with s. 16.72 (2) (d).