The Wisconsin Department of Corrections accounts for about 28.5% of state employees, according to the 2025-27 state budget. The total number of full-time-equivalent positions in state government is 74,426, but this includes 38,239 University of Wisconsin positions, which are largely funded by federal funding, tuition, and other revenue.

Breakdown of State Employees

Excluding University of Wisconsin employees, the state’s full-time-equivalent total is 36,187. The Corrections Department’s 10,328 positions account for 28.5% of that. The next-largest departments are Health Services, with 6,741 positions, and Transportation, with 3,258 positions.

Wisconsin Watch reported in May that Wisconsin’s prison population is heading toward a record high, with women’s prisons 78% over capacity and men’s facilities 30% over capacity. As of May 1, the adult prison population was 23,577, nearing the record of 23,826 set in 2019.

Original reporting: Wisconsin Watch — read the source article.