Wis. Stat. § 938.51 — WI Code / Chapter 938 / Section 938.51
Notification of release or escape of juvenile from correctional custody or supervision.
Status: in_force

(1) Release from secured facility or supervision. At least 15 days prior to the date of release from a juvenile correctional facility or a secured residential care center for children and youth of a juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent and at least 15 days prior to the release from the supervision of the department of corrections or a county department of a juvenile who has been adjudicated delinquent, the department of corrections or county department, whichever has supervision over the juvenile, shall make a reasonable attempt to do all of the following:

(a) Notify all of the following local agencies in the community in which the juvenile will reside of the juvenile’s return to the community:

1. The law enforcement agencies.

2. The school district.

3. The county departments under ss. 46.215 , 46.22 , 46.23 , 51.42 and 51.437 .

(b) Subject to pars. (c) and (cm) , notify any known victim of the act for which the juvenile has been found delinquent of the juvenile’s release, if all of the following apply:

2. The victim can be found.

3. The victim has sent in a request card under sub. (2) or, if the victim was under 18 years of age when his or her parent sent in a request card under sub. (2) , the parent or guardian authorized on the request card direct notification of the victim after the victim attains 18 years of age.

(c) Subject to par. (cm) , notify an adult relative of the victim of the juvenile’s release if all of the following apply:

1. The victim died as a result of the juvenile’s delinquent act.

2. The adult relative can be found.

3. The adult relative has sent in a request card under sub. (2) .

(cm) Notify the victim’s parent or legal guardian of the juvenile’s release if all of the following apply:

1. The victim is younger than 18 years of age.

2. The parent or legal guardian can be found.

3. The parent or legal guardian has sent in a request card under sub. (2) .

(d) Notify any witness who testified against the juvenile in any court proceeding involving the delinquent act of the juvenile’s release if all of the following apply:

1. The witness can be found.

2. The witness has sent in a request card under sub. (2) .

(1d) Release from nonsecured residential care center. At least 15 days prior to the release from a nonsecured residential care center for children and youth of a juvenile who has either been adjudicated delinquent under s. 48.12 , 1993 stats., or s. 938.12 or been found to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.13 (12) , 1993 stats., or s. 938.13 (12) and who has been found to have committed a violation of ch. 940 or of s. 948.02 , 948.025 , 948.03 , or 948.085 (2) , and at least 15 days prior to the release from a nonsecured residential care center for children and youth of a juvenile who has been found to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.13 (14) , 1993 stats., or s. 938.13 (14) , the department of corrections or county department, whichever has supervision over the juvenile, shall notify all of the following persons of the juvenile’s release:

(a) Any known victim of the act for which the juvenile was found delinquent or to be in need of protection or services, if the criteria under sub. (1) (b) are met; an adult relative of the victim, if the criteria under sub. (1) (c) are met; or the victim’s parent or guardian, if the criteria under sub. (1) (cm) are met.

(b) Any witness who testified against the juvenile in any court proceeding involving the act for which the juvenile was found delinquent or to be in need of protection or services, if the criteria under sub. (1) (d) are met.

(1g) Release from inpatient facility. At least 15 days prior to the release from an inpatient facility, as defined in s. 51.01 (10) , of a juvenile who has been found to be in need of protection or services under s. 48.13 (14) , 1993 stats., or s. 938.13 (14) , the county department having supervision over the juvenile shall notify all of the following persons of the juvenile’s release:

(a) Any known victim of the act for which the juvenile was found to be in need of protection or services, if the criteria under sub. (1) (b) are met; an adult relative of the victim, if the criteria under sub. (1) (c) are met; or the victim’s parent or guardian, if the criteria under sub. (1) (cm) are met.

(b) Any witness who testified against the juvenile in any court proceeding involving the act for which the juvenile was found to be in need of protection or services, if the criteria under sub. (1) (d) are met.

(1m) Notification of local agencies. The department of corrections or county department, whichever has supervision over a juvenile described in sub. (1) , shall determine the local agencies that it will notify under sub. (1) (a) based on the residence of the juvenile’s parents or on the juvenile’s intended residence specified in the juvenile’s community supervision plan or aftercare supervision plan or, if those methods do not indicate the community in which the juvenile will reside following release from a juvenile correctional facility or a secured residential care center for children and youth or from the supervision of the department of corrections or county department, the community in which the juvenile states that he or she intends to reside.

(1r) Contents of notice. The notification under sub. (1) , (1d) or (1g) shall include only the juvenile’s name, the date of the juvenile’s release and the type of placement to which the juvenile is released.

(2) Notification request cards. The department of corrections shall design and prepare cards for any person specified in sub. (1) (b) , (c) , (cm) , or (d) to send to the department of corrections or county department, whichever has supervision over a juvenile described in sub. (1) , (1d) , or (1g) . The cards shall have space for the person’s name, telephone number and mailing address, the name of the applicable juvenile, and any other information that the department of corrections determines is necessary. The cards shall advise a victim who is under 18 years of age that he or she may complete a card requesting notification under sub. (1) (b) , (1d) , or (1g) if the notification occurs after the victim attains 18 years of age and advising the parent or guardian of a victim who is under 18 years of age that the parent or guardian may authorize on the card direct notification of the victim under sub. (1) (b) , (1d) , or (1g) if the notification occurs after the victim attains 18 years of age. The department of corrections shall provide the cards, without charge, to district attorneys. District attorneys shall provide the cards, without charge, to persons specified in sub. (1) (b) to (d) . These persons may send completed cards to the department of corrections or county department, whichever has supervision over the juvenile. Department of corrections and county department records or portions of records that relate to telephone numbers and mailing addresses of these persons are not subject to inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1) .

(3) Release not affected by failure to notify. Timely release of a juvenile specified in sub. (1) , (1d) , or (1g) shall not be prejudiced by the fact that the department of corrections or county department, whichever has supervision over the juvenile, did not provide notification as required under sub. (1) , (1d) , or (1g) , whichever is applicable.

(4) Notification if escape or absence. If a juvenile described in sub. (1) , (1d) , or (1g) escapes from a juvenile correctional facility, residential care center for children and youth, inpatient facility, juvenile detention facility, or juvenile portion of a county jail, or from the custody of a peace officer or a guard of such a facility, center, home, or jail, or has been allowed to leave a juvenile correctional facility, residential care center for children and youth, inpatient facility, juvenile detention facility, or juvenile portion of a county jail for a specified period of time and is absent from the facility, center, home, or jail for more than 12 hours after the expiration of the specified period, as soon as possible after the department of corrections or county department, whichever has supervision over the juvenile, discovers the escape or absence, the department of corrections or county department shall make a reasonable attempt to notify by telephone all of the following persons:

(a) Any known victim of the act for which the juvenile was found delinquent or to be in need of protection or services, if the criteria under sub. (1) (b) are met; an adult relative of the victim, if the criteria under sub. (1) (c) are met; or the victim’s parent or guardian, if the criteria under sub. (1) (cm) are met.

(b) Any witness who testified against the juvenile in any court proceeding involving the act for which the juvenile was found delinquent or to be in need of protection or services, if the criteria under sub. (1) (d) are met.

History: 1995 a. 77 , 352 ; 1997 a. 181 , 207 ; 1999 a. 9 , 32 , 186 ; 2001 a. 59 ; 2005 a. 277 , 344 ; 2015 a. 55 .