Wis. Stat. § 938.22 — WI Code / Chapter 938 / Section 938.22
County and private juvenile facilities.
Status: in_force

(1) Establishment and policies.

(a) The county board of supervisors of a county may establish a juvenile detention facility or secured residential care center for children and youth in accordance with ss. 301.36 and 301.37 or the county boards of supervisors for 2 or more counties may jointly establish a juvenile detention facility or secured residential care center for children and youth in accordance with ss. 46.20 , 59.53 (8m) , 301.36 , and 301.37 . An Indian tribe may establish a secured residential care center for children and youth in accordance with ss. 301.36 and 301.37 or may contract with a county board of supervisors to hold juveniles who are adjudicated delinquent by the tribal court in that county’s secured residential care center for children and youth. The county board of supervisors of a county may establish a shelter care facility in accordance with ss. 48.576 and 48.578 or the county boards of supervisors for 2 or more counties may jointly establish a shelter care facility in accordance with ss. 46.20 , 48.576 , and 48.578 . A private entity may establish a juvenile detention facility in accordance with ss. 301.36 and 301.37 and contract with one or more county boards of supervisors under s. 938.222 to hold juveniles in the private juvenile detention facility. Subject to ss. 48.66 (1) (b) , 301.36 , and 301.37 , a child welfare agency may establish a secured residential care center for children and youth and contract with one or more county boards of supervisors or an Indian tribe to hold juveniles in the secured residential care center for children and youth.

(b) Subject to sub. (3) (ar) , in counties having a population of less than 750,000, the nonjudicial operational policies of a public juvenile detention facility or shelter care facility shall be determined by the county board of supervisors or, in the case of a public juvenile detention facility or shelter care facility established by 2 or more counties, by the county boards of supervisors for the 2 or more counties jointly. Those policies shall be executed by the superintendent appointed under sub. (3) (a) .

(c) In counties having a population of 750,000 or more, the nonjudicial operational policies of a public juvenile detention facility and the detention section of the children’s court center shall be established by the county board of supervisors, and the policies shall be executed by the director of the children’s court center.

(d) The nonjudicial operational policies of a private juvenile detention facility shall be established by the private entity operating the juvenile detention facility. Those policies shall be executed by the superintendent appointed under sub. (3) (bm) .

(2) Plans and requirements.

(a) Counties shall submit plans for a juvenile detention facility, secured residential care center for children and youth, or juvenile portion of the county jail to the department of corrections and submit plans for a shelter care facility to the department of children and families. A private entity that proposes to establish a juvenile detention facility or an Indian tribe or a child welfare agency that proposes to establish a secured residential care center for children and youth shall submit plans for the facility to the department of corrections. The applicable department shall review the submitted plans. A county, Indian tribe, private entity, or child welfare agency may not implement a plan unless the applicable department has approved the plan. The department of corrections shall promulgate rules establishing minimum requirements for the approval and operation of juvenile detention facilities, secured residential care centers for children and youth, and the juvenile portion of county jails. The plans and rules shall be designed to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the juveniles placed in those facilities.

(b) If the department of corrections approves, a juvenile detention facility or a holdover room may be located in a public building in which there is a jail or other facility for the detention of adults if the juvenile detention facility or holdover room is physically segregated from the jail or other facility so that juveniles may enter the juvenile detention facility or holdover room without passing through areas where adults are confined and juveniles detained in the juvenile detention facility or holdover room cannot communicate with or view adults confined in the jail or other facility.

(c) A shelter care facility may be used for the temporary care of children taken into custody under s. 48.19 , in need of transitional placements in emergency situations under s. 48.357 (2m) , or placed in the shelter care facility by order of the court under ch. 48 and of juveniles taken into custody under s. 938.19 , in need of transitional placements in emergency situations under s. 938.357 (2m) , or placed in the shelter care facility by order of the court under this chapter, except that on the request of a person licensed to operate a shelter care facility the department may permit that shelter care facility to be used for voluntary placements under s. 48.63 (1) (b) . The department shall review such a request based on the needs of children and juveniles in the area served by the shelter care facility and the services provided by the shelter care facility and may approve the request if it determines that the services provided by the shelter care facility would meet those needs. A shelter care facility, other than a holdover room, may not be in the same building as a facility for the detention of adults.

(d)

1. Except as provided in subd. 2. , a juvenile detention facility is authorized to accept juveniles for placement for more than 30 consecutive days under s. 938.34 (3) (f) 1. if all of the following apply:

a. The juvenile detention facility is operated by a county, the county board of supervisors of which has adopted a resolution under s. 938.34 (3) (f) 3. , prior to January 1, 2018, authorizing placement of juveniles at the juvenile detention facility under s. 938.34 (3) (f) for more than 30 consecutive days.

b. The county that operates the juvenile detention facility is not awarded a grant under 2017 Wisconsin Act 185 , section 110 (4) .

2. After July 1, 2021, the number of juveniles that may be housed at a juvenile detention facility under subd. 1. is limited to the number that is equal to the average daily population of juveniles housed under subd. 1. , rounded up to the nearest whole number, of the juvenile detention facility between July 1, 2018, and June 30, 2021, excluding any juveniles placed there under 2019 Wisconsin Act 8 , section 72 (1) , and the juvenile detention facility may not be altered or added to or repaired in excess of 50 percent of its assessed value. If a juvenile detention facility violates this subdivision, it is no longer authorized to accept juveniles for placement for more than 30 consecutive days.

(3) Supervision of facility.

(a) In counties having a population of less than 750,000, public juvenile detention facilities and public shelter care facilities shall be in the charge of a superintendent. The county board of supervisors or, where 2 or more counties operate joint public juvenile detention facilities or shelter care facilities, the county boards of supervisors for the 2 or more counties jointly shall appoint the superintendent and other necessary personnel for the care and education of the juveniles placed in those facilities, subject to par. (am) and to civil service regulations in counties having civil service.

(am) If a juvenile detention facility or holdover room is part of a public building in which there is a jail or other facility for the detention of adults, the sheriff or other keeper of the jail or other facility for the detention of adults may nominate persons for the position of superintendent of the juvenile detention facility or holdover room. Nominees under this paragraph shall have demonstrated administrative abilities and interest in juvenile justice and the welfare of juveniles.

(ar) Notwithstanding sub. (1) (b) , if a juvenile detention facility or holdover room is located in a public building in which there is a jail or other facility for the detention of adults, the sheriff or other keeper of the jail or other facility for the detention of adults shall determine the security and emergency response policies of that juvenile detention facility or holdover room and the procedures for implementing those policies.

(b) In counties having a population of 750,000 or more, the director of the children’s court center shall be in charge of and responsible for public juvenile detention facilities, the juvenile detention section of the center, and the personnel assigned to this section, including a detention supervisor or superintendent. The director of the children’s court center may also serve as superintendent of detention if the county board of supervisors so determines.

(bm) A private juvenile detention facility shall be in the charge of a superintendent appointed by the private entity operating the juvenile detention facility.

(c) A superintendent appointed under par. (a) , (b) , or (bm) after May 1, 1992, shall, within one year after that appointment, successfully complete an administrative training program approved or provided by the department of justice.

(5) County contracts with private facilities. A county board of supervisors, or 2 or more county boards of supervisors jointly, may contract with privately operated juvenile detention facilities, shelter care facilities, or home detention programs for purchase of services. A county board of supervisors may delegate this authority to its county department.

(7) Licensing of shelter care facilities.

(a) No person may establish a shelter care facility without first obtaining a license under s. 48.66 (1) (a) . To obtain a license under s. 48.66 (1) (a) to operate a shelter care facility, a person must meet the minimum requirements for a license established by the department under s. 48.67 , meet the requirements specified in s. 48.685 , and pay the license fee under par. (b) . A license issued under s. 48.66 (1) (a) to operate a shelter care facility is valid until revoked or suspended, but shall be reviewed every 2 years as provided in s. 48.66 (5) .

(b) Except as provided in par. (d) , before the department may issue a license under s. 48.66 (1) (a) to operate a shelter care facility, the shelter care facility shall pay to that department a biennial fee of $60.50, plus a biennial fee of $18.15 per juvenile, based on the number of juveniles that the shelter care facility is licensed to serve. A shelter care facility that wishes to continue a license issued under s. 48.66 (1) (a) shall pay the fee by the continuation date of the license. A new shelter care facility shall pay the fee by no later than 30 days before the opening of the shelter care facility.

(c) A shelter care facility that wishes to continue a license issued under s. 48.66 (1) (a) and that fails to pay the fee under par. (b) by the continuation date of the license or a new shelter care facility that fails to pay the fee under par. (b) by 30 days before the opening of the shelter care facility shall pay an additional fee of $5 per day for every day after the deadline that the facility fails to pay the fee.

(d) An individual who is eligible for a fee waiver under the veterans fee waiver program under s. 45.44 is not required to pay the fee under par. (b) for a license to operate a shelter care facility.

History: 1995 a. 27 s. 9126 (19) ; 1995 a. 77 , 352 ; 1997 a. 27 , 35 , 252 ; 1999 a. 9 ; 2005 a. 344 ; 2007 a. 20 , 97 ; 2011 a. 209 ; 2013 a. 335 ; 2015 a. 55 ; 2017 a. 185 ; 2017 a. 207 s. 5 ; 2019 a. 8 ; 2021 a. 239 s. 74 .