Juvenile courts from all 72 Wisconsin counties have the authority to commit male and female delinquent youth aged 12 years or older to the Department of Corrections (DOC) in a Type 1 secured juvenile correctional facility (JCI). Under unusual circumstances, a delinquent under the age of 12 years may be placed at a JCI.

Generally, a juvenile court order is for one year with the possibility of extensions up to the age of 18 years. Youth who committed especially serious crimes may be committed for 5 years or until the age of 25 years depending on the crime. In some cases, a criminal court places a convicted youth in a JCI when the youth is under 16 years old. The Federal Bureau of Prisons places a few juveniles in Wisconsin JCI’s.

A juvenile placed in a JCI meets 2 criteria:

• Committed an offense punishable by a sentence of 6 months or longer if committed by an adult

• Found by the court to present a substantial risk to the community requiring placement in a secure facility.

A JCI is a correctional facility surrounded by a secure fence operated by DOC or Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS) for holding delinquent youth in secure custody. DOC administers all the facilities listed below, but for the Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center (MJTC) which DHFS administers.

LHS and CLS have a Reception Center where a juvenile spends approximately the first 35 days for orientation, and the assessment and evaluation process.

• Staff members orient the juveniles about what to expect at the JCI, explain programs available, discuss rules of conduct, and provide other important information

• Social workers, community supervision agents, teachers, youth counselors, health professionals and mental health treatment staff observe the youth, review past records, meet with the family, and complete various documents to identify the current strengths and needs of the youth and his or her family.

• Staff determine the risk the youth may present to the community upon leaving the JCI.

• The Joint Planning and Review Committee  meets to discuss the appropriate placement for the youth and select the youth’s initial individualized broad goals.

EAS, LHS and SOGS all employ teachers, social workers, youth counselors, nurses and psychologists who work directly with the youth. Each JCI is administered by a superintendent who reports to the DJC Administrator and Deputy Administrator.

Wisconsin law requires school attendance by a juvenile under 18 years of age without a high school diploma or equivalent (GED or HSED). DJC youth attend school full-time at the JCI in a central location or on their living units. Improving academic skills clearly plays a vital role in a youth’s ability to successfully reintegrate into the community.

Youth over 18 years of age are not legally required to participate in educational/vocational programs, but DJC generally requires all youth to participate in such programming as part of their individualized case plans. Educational programming is offered at a variety of academic levels including middle school, high school, HSED, technical college courses and vocational programs. A significant percent of DJC youth require Special Education services.

In 2001, DJC began implementing a comprehensive LifeWork Education Program that assists the youth to understand the connection between education and career development. The program involves administration of aptitude and assessment tests, development of a LifeWork Education Plan, and compilation of a Career Portfolio that contains a record of the youth’s academic, vocational, social and employment achievements. LifeWork Education encompasses traditional academic classes, career exploration, development of soft skills (interviewing, writing resumes, etc.) as well as vocational training. A goal of LifeWork is to build a bridge between the juvenile justice system and the Wisconsin workforce development system.

The (AODA) program is designed to provide a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment in which youth can effectively address their substance abuse treatment needs. Through treatment, education and life skills training, youth have the opportunity to make positive lifestyle changes. A few of the objectives of the program include:

• Educate youth regarding the effects of alcohol and other drug abuse on themselves, their families and the community.

• Assist the youth to develop skills needed to abstain from misuse and abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

• Measure youth’s progress in the program through pre- and post-tests, and weekly discussions and assignments.

• Reduce the number of AODA relapses among youth returning to the community.

• Increase interaction of JCI staff and youth with community agencies/services.

The standardized SSOP consists of an assessment process followed by a 4-phase treatment program. Every 3 to 4 weeks, the treatment team meets to evaluate the youth’s progress to determine if the youth is ready to move to the next phase.

• Assessment by DJC staff based upon record review, interviews, observations and administration of standardized tests

• Phase1: Offense Description: youth describe and begin to accept responsibility for offenses they committed

• Phase 2: Sexual History: youth look at their sexual histories including as victims, and patterns of their own deviant behavior

• Phase 3: Social History: youth reveals and understands his or her own social history; role of family members/peers, alcohol/drug abuse, early childhood, self -esteem, etc.

• Phase 4: Relapse Prevention: youth develops detailed relapse prevention plan for return to the community and a plan for restorative justice