Chapter DOC 373

DOC 373.03(25) (25) “Staff” means a state employee or a person under contract with the department or the facility where a youth is housed.

DOC 373.03(26) (26) “Superintendent” means the superintendent of a facility or designee.

DOC 373.03(27) (27) “Supervisor” means staff designated by the superintendent to perform supervisory functions under this chapter.

DOC 373.03(27m) (27m) “Treatment-based response” means a nonpunitive intervention to provide youth with activities or opportunities to improve social, emotional, or behavioral skill development.

DOC 373.03(28) (28) “Type 1 secured correctional facility” has the meaning given in s. 938.02 (19), Stats.

DOC 373.03(29) (29) “Youth” means a person or persons supervised by the department in a facility consistent with the requirements of law and regardless of age.

DOC 373.03 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00;.CR 24-040: r. (1), (3), (4), r. and recr. (6), (9), (10), cr. (10m), r. (13), (17) to (22), cr. (24m), am. (25), (26), cr. (27m), am. (29) Register June 2025 No. 834, eff. 7-1-25; correction in (9) (intro.) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register June 2025 No. 834.

DOC 373.04 DOC 373.04 Responsibilities of youth. Youth placed under department supervision have the opportunity to learn and to demonstrate constructive values and behaviors. By conducting themselves according to the rules and policies of the facility, youth will not only avoid the consequences of misconduct as outlined in this chapter, but will also earn a progressively greater degree of independence during the time of facility placement. Youth shall do all of the following:

DOC 373.04(1) (1) Allow others to have privacy.

DOC 373.04(2) (2) Respect the property of others.

DOC 373.04(3) (3) Refrain from physically or verbally abusing, exploiting or otherwise harming other youth, staff, or any other person.

DOC 373.04(4) (4) Accept adult guidance, support and supervision.

DOC 373.04(5) (5) Know the rules of the facility and ask questions of staff if unsure of the meaning of a rule.

DOC 373.04(6) (6) Be supportive of efforts by other youth to involve themselves in individual programs and assist others in their efforts to obey facility rules.

DOC 373.04(7) (7) Respect the race, gender, age, disabilities, religious background, and culture of other persons.

DOC 373.04(8) (8) Participate in major decision-making affecting the youth’s life.

DOC 373.04(9) (9) Carry out the youth’s part of the individual case plan.

DOC 373.04(10) (10) Use the complaint procedures to address problems that cannot be handled on an informal basis.

DOC 373.04(11) (11) Maintain good personal hygiene and strive to maintain good health.

DOC 373.04(12) (12) Participate in an active, positive manner in the assigned program.

DOC 373.04 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00; CR 19-124: am. (7) Register June 2020 No. 774, eff. 7-1-20; CR 24-040: am. (intro.), (5), (6) Register June 2025 No. 834, eff. 7-1-25.

DOC 373.05 DOC 373.05 Conduct rules. Conduct rules define prohibited youth conduct and are described under ss. DOC 373.14 to 373.65. The conduct rules apply to each youth at all times while assigned to the supervision of a facility, regardless of where the violation was committed or attempted.

DOC 373.05 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00; CR 24-040: am. Register June 2025 No. 834, eff. 7-1-25.

DOC 373.06 DOC 373.06 Conduct rule violations.

DOC 373.06(1) (1) A youth may not violate conduct rules.

DOC 373.06(2) (2) Violations of the conduct rules shall be resolved in accordance with this chapter.

DOC 373.06 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.07 DOC 373.07 Attempted violation of conduct rules.

DOC 373.07(1) (1) A youth is guilty of an attempt to violate a conduct rule if all of the following are true:

DOC 373.07(1)(a) (a) The youth intended to do something that would have been a conduct rule violation.

DOC 373.07(1)(b) (b) The youth committed an act that demonstrated intent to violate a conduct rule.

DOC 373.07(2) (2) The penalty for an attempt to violate a conduct rule is the same as the penalty for violating that conduct rule.

DOC 373.07(3) (3) A youth may be charged with both a substantive conduct rule violation and with an attempt to commit that conduct rule violation, based on the same incident, but may be found guilty of only one.

DOC 373.07 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.08 DOC 373.08 Aiding, abetting or knowing of conduct rule violations.

DOC 373.08(1) (1) A youth is guilty of aiding and abetting a conduct rule violation if the youth intentionally does any of the following:

DOC 373.08(1)(a) (a) Encourages, directs, commands, hires, coerces, requests or signals another youth to commit a conduct rule violation.

DOC 373.08(1)(b) (b) Assists another person, prior to a conduct rule violation, in planning or preparing for committing a conduct rule violation, with intent that the conduct rule violation be committed.

DOC 373.08(1)(c) (c) Assists another person during commission of a conduct rule violation, whether or not this assistance was planned in advance.

DOC 373.08(1)(d) (d) Destroys evidence of a conduct rule violation committed by another person or otherwise helps to prevent discovery of a conduct rule violation or of the person who committed the violation.

DOC 373.08(2) (2) If a youth knows of a plan to commit a conduct rule violation or knows of the commission of a conduct rule violation, failure of the youth to report the plan or commission is a conduct rule violation.

DOC 373.08(3) (3) A youth may be charged with both a substantive conduct rule violation and aiding and abetting or knowing of that conduct rule violation, based on the same incident, but may be found guilty of only one.

DOC 373.08(4) (4) A youth may be charged and found guilty of aiding and abetting or knowing of a conduct rule violation even if no one is charged or found guilty of committing the conduct rule violation.

DOC 373.08(5) (5) The penalty for aiding and abetting or knowing of a conduct rule violation shall normally be the same as for the substantive conduct rule violation.

DOC 373.08(6) (6) The penalty for a youth who aids and abets or knows of a conduct rule violation need not be based in any way on the penalty, if any, for the youth who actually committed the conduct rule violation.

DOC 373.08 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.09 DOC 373.09 Defenses. The following, if established by a youth by a preponderance of the evidence are complete defenses to alleged violations of the conduct rules under this chapter:

DOC 373.09(1) (1) Mental incapacity. At the time of the conduct, the youth, as a result of mental disease or defect, lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct or to conform to the conduct rules.

DOC 373.09(2) (2) Involuntary intoxication. At the time of the conduct, the youth, as a result of involuntary intoxication, lacked substantial capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of the conduct or to conform to the conduct rules. This subsection does not afford a defense if the intoxicant was taken voluntarily, unless the intoxicant was taken consistent with a proper prescription.

DOC 373.09(3) (3) Mistake. The youth honestly erred and the error negates the existence of a state of mind essential to the conduct rule violation.

DOC 373.09(4) (4) Self-Defense. A youth may use the minimum amount of force necessary to prevent death or bodily injury to self or in defending a third person. A youth may not continue to exercise self-defense after an order by staff to stop. In determining whether the minimum force was used in exercising self-defense, staff shall consider:

DOC 373.09(4)(a) (a) Whether the aggressor used a weapon.

DOC 373.09(4)(b) (b) The size of the youth invoking a self-defense claim in relation to the size of the aggressor.

DOC 373.09(4)(c) (c) The opportunity of the youth who claims self-defense to flee or to obtain assistance from staff.

DOC 373.09(4)(d) (d) Whether staff were nearby.

DOC 373.09(5) (5) Orders. A youth may disobey a conduct rule when expressly authorized to disobey it by staff.

DOC 373.09 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.10 DOC 373.10 Youth access to conduct rules.

DOC 373.10(1) (1) The superintendent shall provide youth with an orientation to department conduct rules as part of the assessment and evaluation of youth under s. DOC 371.05 (1) (d).

DOC 373.10(2) (2) The superintendent shall provide a youth with a written copy of the conduct rules.

DOC 373.10 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00; correction in (1) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, June, 2000, No. 534.

DOC 373.12 DOC 373.12 Lesser-included conduct rule violations. Certain prohibited acts have lesser-included acts associated with them. A youth alleged to have violated a conduct rule is also considered to have allegedly violated a lesser-included conduct rule. No youth may be found to have committed both an act and its lesser-included act based upon the same incident. Table 373-A lists the lesser-included conduct rule violations of each conduct rule violation.

- See PDF for table

DOC 373.12 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

subch. II of ch. DOC 373 Subchapter II — Conduct Rules Relating to Bodily Security

DOC 373.14 DOC 373.14 Causing the death of another. A youth may not intentionally, negligently or recklessly cause the death of another person.

DOC 373.14 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.15 DOC 373.15 Sexual intercourse.

DOC 373.15(1) (1) In this section, “sexual intercourse” means any penetration, however slight, by the penis into the mouth, vagina, or anus of another person, or any penetration, however slight, by any part of the body or an object into the anus or vagina of another person.

DOC 373.15(2) (2) A youth may not engage in sexual intercourse.

DOC 373.15 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.16 DOC 373.16 Sexual contact. A youth may not intentionally touch with a body part or an object any intimate part of another person, either directly or through clothing, or cause it to be touched by another with or without the consent of that person.

DOC 373.16 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.17 DOC 373.17 Restraint of another. Unless authorized, a youth may not seize, restrain or confine another person.

DOC 373.17 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.18 DOC 373.18 Fighting.

DOC 373.18(1) (1) In this section, “fight” means any situation where 2 or more persons are trying to injure each other by any physical means including, but not limited to, hitting, biting, kicking, scratching, throwing or swinging objects or using weapons.

DOC 373.18(2) (2) A youth may not participate in a fight.

DOC 373.18 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.19 DOC 373.19 Battery. A youth may not intentionally cause injury, physical pain, illness or any impairment of physical condition to another person.

DOC 373.19 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.20 DOC 373.20 Threats. A youth may not communicate to another person verbally, in writing or by gesture, symbol or action to do any of the following:

DOC 373.20(1) (1) Harm or harass that person or someone else.

DOC 373.20(2) (2) Cause damage to or loss of that person’s or another person’s property.

DOC 373.20 History History: Cr. Register, June, 2000, No. 534, eff. 7-1-00.

DOC 373.205 DOC 373.205 Bullying. A youth may not participate in unwanted aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance through verbal behavior, physical behavior, or social behavior, or a combination, that intends to cause physical or psychological harm or both.

DOC 373.205 History History: CR 24-040: cr. Register June 2025 No. 834, eff. 7-1-25; correction made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register June 2025 No. 834.

subch. III of ch. DOC 373 Subchapter III — Conduct Rules Relating to Facility Security

DOC 373.21 DOC 373.21 Inciting a disturbance. A youth may not encourage, direct, command, hire, coerce, request or signal one or more persons to participate in a disturbance.