Wisconsin is a decentralized state. Delinquency services are primarily organized at the local level in Wisconsin, with social service departments frequently providing community supervision for probation or aftercare.

How is detention organized? 

Secure detention in Wisconsin is organized at the local level, with some facilities having regional catchment. Facilities are funded almost entirely by local tax revenue and are administered in one of five ways: 1) by county sheriffs, with program staff employed by the county sheriff; 2) by county sheriffs, with program staff employed by county human service agencies; 3) stand-alone facilities administered by a county human service agency; 4) stand-alone facilities administered by the juvenile court; or 5) stand-alone facilities administered by the Children's Court Center.

“Deferred prosecution" or informal disposition in Wisconsin, is an agreement between the intake worker and the youth and his or her parents on informal conditions of diversion and is defined in section 938.245.  A deferred prosecution agreement can be entered when  sufficient evidence is available to substantiate delinquency in a juvenile court proceeding, but proceeding formally serves neither the youth nor the public interest.

Wisconsin’s Juvenile Justice Code (section 938.346) extends certain rights to the victims of juvenile violence, including the right to learn the identity of the juvenile,

Juvenile probation services are organized several ways in Wisconsin, 1) County social service departments frequently administer juvenile intake, investigation, and probation supervision services. 2) Some counties separate intake and probation supervision services between local juvenile courts (intake) and the county social services department (probation supervision).

Qualifications for entry-level probation positions are the same as those for performing entry level social work in a county department ( 938.06 (1) (am) and (2) (b)). This code section also requires all juvenile court intake workers to successfully complete basic juvenile court intake worker training according to the Administrative Rules adopted and monitored by the Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Corrections.

The committing court retains jurisdiction as set forth in the disposition order for up to 2 years or until the youth's 18th birthday, whichever occurs first, and can modify and review the implementation of its order. The statute neither explicitly requires nor prohibits in-court reviews of youth committed to the care of DOC/DJC.

There is no juvenile parole authority in Wisconsin. Rather, the Department of Corrections (DOC), Division of Juvenile Corrections (DJC) is bound by statute to release youth deemed rehabilitated and no longer a threat to the community. Therefore, DOC/DJC has established an Office of Juvenile Offender Review (OJOR) to organize case reviews for making case plan adjustments and release decisions.

Per statute ( 938.34 (4n)), an order placing a juvenile in a state facility must contain an order for state or county aftercare. The Division of Juvenile Corrections (DJC) is responsible for aftercare supervision, but many counties have opted to provide their own aftercare services.

Wisconsin’s purpose clause is rooted in Balanced and Restorative Justice (BARJ) philosophies.  The BARJ movement advocates that juvenile courts give balanced attention to three primary interests: public safety, individual accountability to the victims and community, and the development in offenders of those skills necessary to live law-abiding and productive lives.

Lower Age: 10

Upper Age: 16

Extended Age of Delinquency Jurisdiction: 24

Statute requires the Department of Corrections to provide the Wisconsin Juvenile Delinquency Classification System to all counties for risk assessment in detention decisions ( 938.549). However, counties may develop their own assessment tools.