Wisconsin Code § 938.51

Notification of release or escape of juvenile
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from correctional custody or supervision. (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 correc-

tional 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.

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