Chapter 301

301.03(7) (7) Direct the educational programs, including an adult basic education program, in all state correctional institutions. The department shall test the reading ability of each prisoner.

301.03(7m) (7m) Supervise criminal defendants accepted into the custody of the department under s. 969.02 (3) (a) or 969.03 (1) (a). The department shall charge the county that is prosecuting the defendant a fee for providing this supervision. The department shall set the fee by rule.

301.03(9) (9) Supervise all persons placed in a state prison under s. 938.183 and all persons placed under the supervision of the department by the court under ch. 938.

301.03(10) (10) 

301.03(10)(a) (a) Execute the laws relating to the detention, reformation, and correction of delinquent juveniles placed under its jurisdiction.

301.03(10)(b) (b) Supervise all juveniles under its jurisdiction who have been adjudicated delinquent and exercise such functions as the department considers appropriate for the prevention of delinquency.

301.03(10)(c) (c) Promote the enforcement of laws for the protection of delinquent juveniles under its jurisdiction. To this end, the department shall cooperate with courts assigned to exercise jurisdiction under chs. 48 and 938, the department of children and families, county departments under ss. 46.215, 46.22, and 46.23, licensed child welfare agencies, and institutions in providing community-based programming, including in-home programming and intensive supervision, for delinquent juveniles under its jurisdiction. The department shall also establish and enforce standards for the development and delivery of services provided by the department under ch. 938 in regard to juveniles who have been adjudicated delinquent and placed under the jurisdiction of the department.

301.03(10)(d) (d) Administer the office of juvenile offender review in the division of juvenile corrections in the department. The office shall be responsible for decisions regarding case planning and the release of juvenile offenders who are under the supervision of the department from juvenile correctional facilities or secured residential care centers for children and youth to aftercare or community supervision placements.

301.03(10)(e) (e) Provide educational programs in all juvenile correctional facilities operated by the department.

301.03(10)(f) (f) Provide health services and psychiatric services for residents of all juvenile correctional facilities operated by the department.

301.03(10)(g) (g) Keep statistics, by race, age and gender, of the number of juveniles over whom the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under chs. 48 and 938 waives its jurisdiction under s. 938.18 as well as the nature of the waiver that was ordered and annually report those statistics to the governor, and to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3).

301.03(11) (11) By February 1, 2002, submit a report to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) concerning the extent to which the department has required pharmacological treatment using an antiandrogen or the chemical equivalent of an antiandrogen as a condition of probation or parole and the effectiveness of the treatment in the cases in which its use has been required.

301.03(12) (12) Cooperate and coordinate its activities with other state and local agencies to provide educational, social, health and other services to offenders, except as provided in s. 302.386 (5).

301.03(13) (13) Annually notify each person who has been discharged from probation, extended supervision or parole and who owed any supervision fees at the time of discharge of any supervision fees owed by the person to the department.

301.03(14) (14) Upon request of the department of revenue, disclose information to the department of revenue concerning a prisoner, probationer or parolee or a person registered under s. 301.45 for the purposes of locating persons, or the assets of persons, who have failed to file tax returns, who have underreported their taxable income or who are delinquent taxpayers, identifying fraudulent tax returns or providing information for tax-related prosecutions.

301.03(15) (15) On or before August 1 of each even-numbered year, provide to the department of health services an estimate of the total proposed budget that the department of corrections will submit in its biennial budget request under s. 16.42.

301.03(16) (16) At the request of the legislature, submit to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2) a report that includes the following information and post the report on the department’s website:

301.03(16)(a) (a) If, since the previous report was submitted or during a date range specified in the request, an individual was pardoned for a crime or was released from a term of imprisonment without completing his or her sentence, the name of the individual, the pertinent crime, and the name of the person who authorized the action.

301.03(16)(b) (b) If an individual who appears on a report submitted under this subsection is convicted of a crime, the name of that individual and the crime for which he or she was convicted.

301.03(18) (18) 

301.03(18)(a) (a) Except as provided in s. 301.12 (14) (b) and (c), establish a uniform system of fees for juvenile correctional services purchased or provided by the department or purchased by a county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23, except for services provided to courts; outreach, information and referral services; or when, as determined by the department, a fee is administratively unfeasible or would significantly prevent accomplishing the purpose of the service. A county department under s. 46.215, 46.22, or 46.23 shall apply the fees that it collects under this program to cover the cost of those services.

301.03(18)(b) (b) Except as provided in s. 301.12 (14) (b) and (c), hold liable for the services purchased or provided under par. (a) in the amount of the fee established under par. (a) any person receiving those services or the spouse of the person and, in the case of a minor, the parents of the person, and, in the case of a foreign child described in s. 48.839 (1) who became dependent on public funds for his or her primary support before an order granting his or her adoption, the resident of this state appointed guardian of the child by a foreign court who brought the child into this state for the purpose of adoption.

301.03(18)(c) (c) Make collections from the person who in the opinion of the department is best able to pay, giving due regard to the present needs of the person or of his or her lawful dependents. The department may bring action in the name of the department to enforce the liability established under par. (b). This paragraph does not apply to the recovery of fees for the care and services specified under s. 301.12.

301.03(18)(d) (d) Compromise or waive all or part of the liability for services received as the department considers necessary to efficiently administer this subsection, subject to such conditions as the department considers appropriate. The sworn statement of the collection and deportation counsel appointed under s. 301.12 (7) or the secretary, shall be evidence of the services provided and the fees charged for those services.

301.03(18)(e) (e) Delegate to county departments under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 and other providers of care and services the powers and duties vested in the department by pars. (c) and (d) as the department considers necessary to efficiently administer this subsection, subject to such conditions as the department considers appropriate.

301.03(18)(g) (g) Return to county departments under s. 46.215, 46.22 or 46.23 50 percent of collections made by the department for delinquent accounts previously delegated under par. (e) and then referred back to the department for collections.

301.03(19) (19) Subject to sub. (20), work to minimize, to the greatest extent possible, the residential population density of sex offenders, as defined in s. 302.116 (1) (b), who are on probation, parole, or extended supervision or placed on supervised release under s. 980.06 (2) (c), 1997 stats., s. 980.08 (5), 2003 stats., or s. 980.08 (4) (g).

301.03(20) (20) 

301.03(20)(a) (a) Except as provided in s. 304.06 (2m) (b), place, in one of the following locations, each person who has been convicted of a sex offense, as defined in s. 301.45 (1d) (b), upon his or her release to parole or extended supervision:

301.03(20)(a)1. 1. The county in which the person resided on the date of the sex offense.

301.03(20)(a)2. 2. The county in which the person was convicted of the sex offense.

301.03(20)(a)3. 3. A sex offender treatment facility.

301.03(20)(b) (b) Paragraph (a) does not preclude the department from authorizing a person to reside in a location other than one listed in par. (a) 1. to 3. if the department initially placed the person in one of those listed locations.

301.03(20m) (20m) Transmit to the elections commission, on a continuous basis, a list containing the name of each living person who has been convicted of a felony under the laws of this state and whose civil rights have not been restored, together with his or her residential address and the date on which the department expects his or her civil rights to be restored.

301.03(20r) (20r) Provide probation, assessment, treatment, and other community treatment options for persons convicted of a 2nd or 3rd offense counted under s. 343.307 (1) with no waiting list for services. If the moneys appropriated under s. 20.410 (1) (bd) are not sufficient to fully fund the services with no waiting list, the department shall notify the joint committee on finance.

301.03 History History: 1989 a. 31, 107, 121, 188, 336; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 16, 377, 479; 1995 a. 27 ss. 6355, 6356m, 6356p, 9126 (19); 1995 a. 77, 141; 1997 a. 27, 35, 237, 275, 283, 284; 1999 a. 9, 32; 2001 a. 16, 109; 2003 a. 321; 2005 a. 344, 431, 434, 451; 2007 a. 1; 2007 a. 20 ss. 3100g, 9121 (6) (a); 2007 a. 96, 97; 2009 a. 28, 100; 2011 a. 32, 38; 2013 a. 196, 334; 2015 a. 55, 118; 2017 a. 185, 369; 2019 a. 8 s. 58; 2021 a. 153, 186.

301.03 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also DOC, Wis. adm. code.

301.03 Annotation Sections 46.03 (18) and 46.10 do not constitute an unlawful delegation of legislative power. Klisurich v. DHSS, 98 Wis. 2d 274, 296 N.W.2d 742 (1980).

301.03 Annotation Sections 46.03 (18) and 46.10 (3) permit the department to promulgate rules that consider non-liable family members’ incomes in determining a liable family member’s ability to pay. J.G.W. v. Outagamie County Department of Social Services, 153 Wis. 2d 412, 451 N.W.2d 416 (1990).

301.03 Annotation Section 46.03 (18) (b) imposes liability upon minors and parents for the costs of services but does not give counties an automatic right of recovery. Section 46.10 governs enforcement procedure and allows courts to exercise discretion. S.E. v. Waukesha County, 159 Wis. 2d 709, 465 N.W.2d 231 (Ct. App. 1990).

301.03 Annotation The uniform fee system under ss. 46.03 (18) and 46.10 allows imputing income and, consequently, looking beyond tax returns to determine ability to pay. Daniel R.C. v. Waukesha County, 181 Wis. 2d 146, 510 N.W.2d 746 (Ct. App. 1993).

301.03 Note NOTE: The above annotations relate to uniform fee schedules for services provided by predecessor agencies to the Department of Corrections under s. 46.03 (18).

301.03 Annotation Wisconsin law empowers circuit courts to impose conditions of extended supervision and probation and to modify those conditions through a formal statutory process. However, actual administration of the sentence and conditions is entrusted to the Department of Corrections. In this case, the circuit court likely stepped over the line when the court imposed a condition that the defendant could not live with any women or unrelated children without the permission of the court, and the court intended to administer that condition through case-by-case oversight. State v. Williams-Holmes, 2023 WI 49, 408 Wis. 2d 1, 991 N.W.2d 373, 21-0809.

301.032 301.032 Juvenile correctional services; supervisory functions of state department.

301.032(1) (1) 

301.032(1)(a) (a) The department shall supervise the administration of juvenile correctional services. The department shall submit to the federal authorities state plans for the administration of juvenile correctional services in such form and containing such information as the federal authorities require, and shall comply with all requirements prescribed to ensure their correctness.

301.032(1)(b) (b) All records of the department and all county records relating to juvenile correctional services shall be open to inspection at all reasonable hours by authorized representatives of the federal government. Notwithstanding ss. 48.396 (2) and 938.396 (2), all county records relating to the purchase of those services shall be open to inspection at all reasonable hours by authorized representatives of the department.

301.032(1)(c) (c) The department may at any time audit all county records relating to the purchase of juvenile correctional services. If the department conducts such an audit in a county, the department shall furnish a copy of the audit report to the chairperson of the county board of supervisors and the county clerk in a county with a single-county department or to the county boards of supervisors and the county clerks in counties with a multicounty department, and to the director of the county department under s. 46.21, 46.22, or 46.23.

301.032(2) (2) The county administration of all laws relating to the purchase of juvenile correctional services shall be vested in the officers and agencies designated in the statutes.

301.032 History History: 1995 a. 27, 77; 2005 a. 344; 2015 a. 55.

301.035 301.035 Division of hearings and appeals; administrator’s general duties. The administrator of the division of hearings and appeals in the department of administration shall:

301.035(1) (1) Serve as the appointing authority of the employees of the division under s. 230.06.

301.035(2) (2) Assign hearing examiners from the division to preside over hearings under ss. 302.11 (7), 302.113 (9), 302.114 (9), 938.357 (5), 973.10 and 975.10 (2) and ch. 304.

301.035(4) (4) Supervise employees in the conduct of the activities of the division and be the administrative reviewing authority for decisions of the division under ss. 302.11 (7), 302.113 (9), 302.114 (9), 938.357 (5), 973.10, 973.155 (2) and 975.10 (2) and ch. 304.

301.035(5) (5) After consultation with the department of corrections, promulgate rules relating to the exercise of the administrator’s and the division’s powers and duties.

301.035 History History: 1989 a. 31, 107; 1995 a. 77; 2001 a. 109.

301.035 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also ch. HA 2, Wis. adm. code.

301.04 301.04 Legal actions. The department may sue and be sued.

301.04 History History: 1989 a. 31.

301.04 Annotation The Department of Corrections (DOC) is entitled to sovereign immunity. DOC lacks sufficient attributes to render it an independent going concern. Despite the breadth of its statutory powers, the character of those powers reveals that the legislature did not intend DOC to be anything other than an arm of the state. The legislature has not expressly waived DOC’s sovereign immunity. This section is not an express waiver of DOC’s tort immunity but rather addresses DOC’s capacity to be sued. Mayhugh v. State, 2015 WI 77, 364 Wis. 2d 208, 867 N.W.2d 754, 13-1023.

301.045 301.045 Investigations. The secretary may inquire into any matter affecting corrections and hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and make recommendations on such matters to the appropriate public or private agencies.

301.045 History History: 1989 a. 31.

301.046 301.046 Community residential confinement.

301.046(1) (1) Institution status. The department shall establish and operate a community residential confinement program as a correctional institution under the charge of a superintendent. Under the program, the department shall confine prisoners in their places of residence or other places designated by the department. The secretary may allocate and reallocate existing and future facilities as part of the institution. The institution is subject to s. 301.02 and is a state prison as defined in s. 302.01. Construction or establishment of the institution shall be in compliance with all state laws except s. 32.035 and ch. 91. In addition to the exemptions under s. 13.48 (13), construction or establishment of facilities for the institution are not subject to the ordinances or regulations relating to zoning, including zoning under ch. 91, of the county and municipality in which the construction or establishment takes place and are exempt from inspections required under s. 301.36.

301.046(2) (2) Inmate, officer and employee status. Inmates confined under sub. (1) are under the care and control of the institution, subject to its rules and discipline and subject to all laws pertaining to inmates of other correctional institutions. Courts may not directly commit persons to the institution under sub. (1). Officers and employees of the institution are subject to the same laws pertaining to other correctional institutions.

301.046(3) (3) Eligibility. The department shall determine those prisoners who are confined under sub. (1). Except as provided in subs. (3m) and (3t), a prisoner is eligible for this confinement only under all of the following conditions:

301.046(3)(c) (c) The prisoner is not serving a life sentence.

301.046(3)(d) (d) The prisoner is eligible for parole under s. 304.06 (1) (b) or is serving a sentence that is not longer than 3 years.

301.046(3m) (3m) Intensive sanctions program participants. The department may confine any intensive sanctions program participant under sub. (1).

301.046(3t) (3t) Persons serving bifurcated sentence; restricted eligibility. A prisoner serving a bifurcated sentence imposed under s. 973.01 is not eligible for confinement under sub. (1) during the term of confinement in prison portion of the bifurcated sentence.

301.046(4) (4) Notification.

301.046(4)(a) (a) In this subsection:

301.046(4)(a)1. 1. “Member of the family” means spouse, domestic partner under ch. 770, child, sibling, parent or legal guardian.

301.046(4)(a)2. 2. “Victim” means a person against whom a crime has been committed.

301.046(4)(b) (b) Before a prisoner is confined under sub. (1) for a violation of s. 940.03, 940.05, 940.225 (1) or (2), 948.02 (1) or (2), 948.025, 948.06, 948.07, or 948.085, the department shall make a reasonable attempt to notify all of the following persons, if they can be found, in accordance with par. (c) and after receiving a completed card under par. (d):

301.046(4)(b)1. 1. The victim of the crime committed by the prisoner or, if the victim died as a result of the crime, an adult member of the victim’s family or, if the victim is younger than 18 years old, the victim’s parent or legal guardian.

301.046(4)(b)2. 2. Any witness who testified against the prisoner in any court proceeding involving the offense.

301.046(4)(c) (c) The department shall make a reasonable effort to send the notice, postmarked at least 7 days before a prisoner is confined under sub. (1), to the last-known address of the persons under par. (b).

301.046(4)(d) (d) The department shall design and prepare cards for any person specified in par. (b) to send to the department. The cards shall have space for any such person to provide his or her name and address, the name of the applicable prisoner and any other information the department determines is necessary. The department shall provide the cards, without charge, to district attorneys. District attorneys shall provide the cards, without charge, to persons specified in par. (b). These persons may send completed cards to the department. All department records or portions of records that relate to mailing addresses of these persons are not subject to inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1).

301.046(4)(e) (e) Before a prisoner is confined under sub. (1), the department shall notify the police chief of any community and the sheriff and district attorney of any county where the prisoner will be confined.

301.046(5) (5) Electronic surveillance. The department shall monitor any prisoner’s confinement under sub. (1) by the use of an electronic device worn continuously on the prisoner’s person or by the confinement of the prisoner in supervised places designated by the department. The department may permit the prisoner to leave confinement for employment, education or other rehabilitative activities.

301.046(5m) (5m) Fee. The prisoner shall pay any fee charged under s. 301.135 (3).

301.046(6) (6) Escape. Any intentional failure of a prisoner to remain within the extended limits of his or her confinement or to return within the time prescribed by the superintendent is considered an escape under s. 946.42 (3) (a).

301.046 History History: 1989 a. 31 ss. 961m, 961mb; Stats. 1989 s. 301.046; 1989 a. 251; 1991 a. 39; 1993 a. 97, 227, 479; 1997 a. 181, 283; 2005 a. 277; 2009 a. 28.

301.046 Cross-reference Cross-reference: See also s. DOC 327.01, Wis. adm. code.

301.046 Annotation Read together, ss. 301.045 and 301.048 permit an escape charge when a prisoner in community residential confinement cuts off an electronic bracelet and fails to return. State v. Holliman, 180 Wis. 2d 348, 509 N.W.2d 73 (Ct. App. 1993).

301.046 Annotation An inmate does not have a constitutionally protected liberty interest in maintaining the inmate’s status under this section. Santiago v. Ware, 205 Wis. 2d 295, 556 N.W.2d 356 (Ct. App. 1996), 95-0079.

301.046 Annotation Except as provided in s. 301.048 (7), counties are responsible for the provision of medical and dental services, including psychiatric and alcohol and drug abuse services, to persons in the community residential confinement program. 81 Atty. Gen. 156.

301.047 301.047 Inmate rehabilitation and aftercare.