Wis. Stat. § 938.06 — WI Code / Chapter 938 / Section 938.06
Services for court.
Status: in_force

(1) Counties with a population of 750,000 or more.

(a)

1. In counties with a population of 750,000 or more, the county board of supervisors shall provide the court with the services necessary for investigating and supervising cases under this chapter by operating a children’s court center under the supervision of a director who is appointed as provided in s. 46.21 (1m) (a) . Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the director is the chief administrative officer of the center and of the intake and probation sections and juvenile detention facilities of the center. The director is responsible for managing the personnel of, and administering the services of, the sections and the juvenile detention facilities, and for supervising operation of the physical plant and maintenance and improvement of the buildings and grounds of the center.

1m. The center under subd. 1. shall include investigative services, provided by the county department, for juveniles alleged to be in need of protection or services and the services of an assistant district attorney or assistant corporation counsel, or both, who shall be assigned to the center to provide investigative and legal work in cases under this chapter and ch. 48 .

2. The chief judge of the judicial administrative district shall establish written judicial policies governing intake and court services for juvenile matters under this chapter and the director of the center shall execute the policies. The chief judge shall direct and supervise the work of all personnel of the court, except the work of the district attorney or corporation counsel assigned to the court, and may delegate his or her supervisory functions.

3. The county board of supervisors shall establish policies and rules for the management and administration of the nonjudicial operations of the children’s court center. The director of the center shall report to, and is responsible to, the director of the county department relating to the center director’s duty to execute the policies and rules governing the center, including activities of probation officers whenever they are not performing services for the court. The director of the center is responsible for preparing and submitting to the county board of supervisors of the annual budget for the center except for the judicial functions or responsibilities which are delegated by law to the court and clerk of circuit court. The county board of supervisors, in organizing the office of director, shall provide for the devolution of the director’s authority in the case of temporary absence, illness, disability to act, or a vacancy in position and shall establish the general qualifications for the position. The county board of supervisors has the authority to investigate, arbitrate, and resolve any conflict in the administration of the center between judicial and nonjudicial operational policy and rules. The county board of supervisors does not have authority over, and may not assert jurisdiction over, the disposition of any case or juvenile after a written order is made under s. 938.21 or if a petition is filed under s. 938.25 .

4. All personnel of the intake and probation sections and of the juvenile detention facilities shall be appointed under civil service by the director, except that existing court service personnel having permanent civil service status may be reassigned to any of the sections within the center specified in this subdivision.

(am)

1. All intake workers providing services under this chapter who begin employment after May 15, 1980, shall have the qualifications required to perform entry level case work in a county department and shall have successfully completed 30 hours of intake training, approved or provided by the department, prior to the completion of the first 6 months of employment in the position. The department shall monitor compliance with this subdivision according to rules promulgated by the department.

2. The department shall make training programs available annually that permit intake workers providing services under this chapter to satisfy the requirements under subd. 1.

(b) Notwithstanding par. (a) , the county board of supervisors may make changes in the administration of services to the children’s court center in order to qualify for the maximum amount of federal and state aid as provided in sub. (4) and ss. 46.495 and 48.569 .

(2) Counties with a population under 750,000.

(a) In counties having less than 750,000 population, the county board of supervisors shall authorize the county department or the court, or both, to provide intake services under s. 938.067 and the staff needed to provide dispositional services under s. 938.069 . Intake services shall be provided by employees of the court or the county department and may not be subcontracted to other individuals or agencies, except as provided in par. (am) . Intake workers shall be governed in their intake work, including their responsibilities for requesting the filing of a petition and entering into a deferred prosecution agreement, by general written policies established by the circuit judges for the county, subject to the approval of the chief judge of the judicial administrative district.

(am)

1. A county that had intake services under this chapter subcontracted from the county sheriff’s office on April 1, 1980, may continue to subcontract those intake services from the county sheriff’s office.

2. A county in which the county sheriff’s office operates a juvenile detention facility may subcontract intake services under this chapter from the county sheriff’s office as provided in this subdivision. If a county subcontracts intake services under this subdivision, employees of the county sheriff’s office who staff the juvenile detention facility may make secure custody determinations under s. 938.208 between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. Such a determination shall be reviewed by an intake worker employed by the court or county department within 24 hours after it is made.

(b)

1. All intake workers providing services under this chapter who begin employment after May 15, 1980, excluding county sheriff’s office employees who provide intake services under par. (am) 2. , shall have the qualifications required to perform entry level case work in a county department. All intake workers providing services under this chapter who begin employment after May 15, 1980, including county sheriff’s office employees who provide intake services under par. (am) 2. , shall have successfully completed 30 hours of intake training approved or provided by the department prior to the completion of the first 6 months of employment in the position. The department shall monitor compliance with this subdivision according to rules promulgated by the department.

2. The department shall make training programs available annually that permit intake workers providing services under this chapter to satisfy the requirements under subd. 1.

(3) Intake services. The court or county department responsible for providing intake services under s. 938.067 shall specify one or more persons to provide intake services. If there is more than one person, one of the persons shall be designated as chief and shall supervise the other persons.

(4) State aid. State aid to any county for juvenile delinquency-related court services under this section shall be at the same net effective rate that each county is reimbursed for county administration under s. 48.569 , except as provided in s. 48.526 . Counties having a population of less than 750,000 may use funds received under ss. 48.569 (1) (d) and 48.526 , including county or federal revenue sharing funds allocated to match funds received under s. 48.569 (1) (d) , for the cost of providing court attached intake services in amounts not to exceed 50 percent of the cost of providing court attached intake services or $30,000 per county per calendar year, whichever is less.

(5) Short-term detention as a disposition or sanction or for violation of order.

(a) The county board of supervisors of any county may, by resolution, authorize the court to do any of the following:

1. Use placement in a juvenile detention facility or juvenile portion of the county jail as a disposition under s. 938.34 (3) (f) , as a sanction under s. 938.355 (6m) (a) 1g. , or as a place of short-term detention under s. 938.355 (6d) (a) 1. or 2. or (b) 1. or 2. or 938.534 (1) (b) 1. or 2.

2. Use commitment to a county department under s. 51.42 or 51.437 for special treatment or care in an inpatient facility, as defined in s. 51.01 (10) , as a disposition under s. 938.34 (6) (am) .

(b) The use by the court of a disposition under s. 938.34 (3) (f) or (6) (am) , a sanction under s. 938.355 (6m) (a) 1g. , or short-term detention under s. 938.355 (6d) (a) 1. or 2. or (b) 1. or 2. or 938.534 (1) (b) 1. or 2. is subject to any resolution adopted under par. (a) .

History: 1995 a. 77 ; 1997 a. 27 , 205 , 239 ; 2001 a. 61 ; 2005 a. 344 ; 2007 a. 20 ; 2013 a. 20 ; 2015 a. 55 ; 2025 a. 196 .