Ayes: 13 - Representatives Olsen, Nass, Brandemuehl, Hahn, Spillner, Kestell, Hundertmark, Rhoades, La Fave, Reynolds, Schooff, Sherman and Ziegelbauer.
Noes: 2 - Representatives J. Lehman and Pocan.
To committee on Rules.
Luther Olsen
Chairperson
Committee on Education
The committee on Health reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 449
Relating to: the effective date of the requirement that entities that provide care for children or adults conduct background investigations of their current employes.
Passage:
Ayes: 15 - Representatives Underheim, Handrick, Walker, F. Lasee, Johnsrud, Olsen, Wieckert, Hundertmark, Wasserman, Carpenter, La Fave, Meyer, Miller, Schooff and Waukau.
Noes: 0.
To committee on Rules.
Gregg Underheim
Chairperson
Committee on Health
The committee on Natural Resources reports and recommends:
Assembly Bill 210
Relating to: the period of time during which sturgeon spearing licenses may not be issued.
Passage:
Ayes: 12 - Representatives Johnsrud, Gunderson, Handrick, Kedzie, Ott, Powers, Brandemuehl, Boyle, Hubler, Gronemus, J. Lehman and Steinbrink.
Noes: 0.
To committee on Rules.
DuWayne Johnsrud
Chairperson
Committee on Natural Resources
__________________
State of Wisconsin
Legislative Audit Bureau
Madison
September 14, 1999
To the Honorable, the Legislature:
We have completed an evaluation of the effect of secure detention on the recidivism of juvenile offenders, as directed by
1997 Wisconsin Act 205. This act and other measures, including the creation of the Juvenile Justice Code in 1996, mark a transition in the use of secure juvenile detention facilities. Before July 1996, when the Juvenile Justice Code took effect, secure detention facilities were used primarily as a means to hold juveniles before court hearings relating to offenses. Since July 1996, they have increasingly become a means to punish juveniles who have committed offenses or been adjudicated delinquent. Judges may now place juveniles in secure detention for up to 30 days as an original disposition, while intake workers may place juveniles in secure detention for up to 72 hours to investigate or punish violations of prior court orders.
Sixteen counties in Wisconsin operate juvenile detention facilities to hold their residents and juveniles from other Wisconsin counties. In 1998, these facilities, which have a total of 519 beds, had 16,937 admissions, which averaged 7.8 days each. Counties estimate the operating cost of the facilities was $14.3 million in 1998. Juvenile detention facilities are funded almost entirely by local revenues.
Of our sample of 907 juvenile delinquents in four counties, we found that 71.5 percent were rearrested before the expanded use of secure detention, and 69.7 percent were rearrested afterwards. Our results are consistent with national recidivism studies and with the beliefs of most county staff and judges, who hold that placements in secure detention do not significantly reduce the likelihood of recidivism. Nevertheless, most county staff with whom we spoke strongly support the use of secure detention because they believe it establishes accountability for juveniles' actions.
We appreciate the courtesy and cooperation extended to us by the Office of Justice Assistance and by county officials in Eau Claire, Outagamie, Ozaukee, and Racine counties.
Respectfully submitted,
Janice Mueller
State Auditor
