Chapter 303 — PRISON LABOR

303.01 Prison industries. (1) CREATION. (a) In this subsection “manufacturing” includes reprocessing, repairing, salvaging, servicing and storing. (b) The department, with the approval of the prison industries board and after a hearing is held under par. (c), may establish indust…

303.015 (1) (b) and the authority of the department to maintain security and control in its institutions. The private business and its operations are not a prison industry. Inmates employed by the private business are not subject to the requirements of inmates participating in pr…

303.016 Accounting system. The department shall establish and implement an accounting system for prison industries, in conformance with generally accepted accounting principles, for purposes of internal budget control. The department shall continue to provide cash-based financial…

303.018 Annual report. The departments of corrections and administration shall report, on an annual basis, to the joint committee on finance and to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3) on the …

303.019 Quarterly report. The departments of corrections and administration shall report, on a quarterly basis, except for the last quarter in a fiscal year, to the joint committee on finance providing a cash balance summary for each prison industry and a projected fiscal year-en…

303.03 Prison labor on farms and buildings. The wardens and the superintendents of the state prisons may employ inmates outside the institution’s yard in cultivating the farms or in doing any necessary work in the prosecution of the regular business of the institution or of other…

303.05 Vocational instruction at prisons. The department may maintain in the state prisons vocational schools and instruct the inmates in trades and domestic science; and may create such industries as seem to the department for the best interests of the inmates. History: 1989 a. …

303.06 Prison products; sale. (1) Except as authorized in this section, no goods, except farm machinery, farm implements and tools, cordage rope and ply goods, manufactured wholly or partly by inmates in any state, city or county penal institution may be offered for sale in the o…

303.063 Secure work program. (1) The department may establish a secure work program for inmates in which the inmates are assigned to work away from the grounds of the institution while appropriately restrained for security purposes. (2) If the department establishes a secure work…

303.065 Work release plan for prison inmates. (1) (a) Except as provided in par. (b), the department may grant work release privileges to any person incarcerated within the state prisons. (b) 1. A person serving a life sentence, other than a life sentence specified in subd. 2., m…

303.068 Leave for qualified inmates. (1) An inmate eligible for confinement in a minimum security institution as established by the department may be allowed by the department to leave confinement for one of the following purposes: (a) To visit a parent, child, spouse, grandparen…

303.069 Correctional institution enterprises; activities of inmates. The department shall record the source of all moneys received under s. 20.410 (1) (kc), crediting each amount received to the institution where the inmate activity occurred or to the department. The department s…

303.07 County reforestation camps. (1) Any county may by ordinance designate any county forest project under s. 28.11 to be a county reforestation camp and provide facilities therein for keeping and maintaining prisoners and giving them employment not exceeding 8 hours each day, …

303.08 “Huber Law”; employment of county jail prisoners. (1) Any person sentenced to a county jail for crime, nonpayment of a fine or forfeiture, or contempt of court or sub- May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 303.08 PRISON LABOR ject to a confinement sanc…

303.09 Huber facilities. (1) The county board of any county may establish, relocate and maintain an unlocked facility for use exclusively by persons granted leave privileges under s. 303.08 (1) and persons confined under s. 973.09 (4) or 973.11 (1) (b). The facility need not be l…

303.10 County work camp. (1) (a) Subject to par. (b), the county board of any county may provide a work camp for the reformation and employment of persons sentenced to the county jail. Any 2 or more counties may jointly provide one work camp. (b) Before establishing a work camp u…

303.16 County house of correction. (1) The county board of any county may, pursuant to s. 301.37, establish, relocate and maintain within the county a house of correction for the reformation and employment of persons sentenced to confinement therein. (2) The expenses of maintaini…

303.17 Administration and management. (1) The county board of supervisors shall control the management of a house of correction under s. 303.16, pursuant to such regulations and under the direct supervision and control of such officers as the county board of supervisors prescribe…

303.18 Commitments; municipal prisoners; contract with other county. (1) Every court of record authorized to commit any person to the county jail upon conviction of any offense, or authorized to sentence any person to imprisonment in the Wisconsin state prisons for any term not e…

303.19 Employment of prisoners; time credits, earnings and rewards. (1) The superintendent of the house of correction shall place all inmates at such employments, and shall cause all inmates who are minors to be instructed in such branches of useful knowledge, as shall be prescri…

303.20 United States convicts. A county may contract with the United States for the keeping and support, within its house of correction, of all prisoners who are sentenced to imprisonment by the courts of the United States within this state, upon such terms as may be agreed upon …

303.21 Compensation to injured prisoners. (1) (a) If an inmate of a state institution, in the performance of assigned work is injured so as to be permanently incapacitated or to have materially reduced earning power, the inmate may, upon being re- PRISON LABOR 303.22 leased from …

303.215 Compensation to prisoners or residents injured in prison industries employment. In accordance with s. 102.03 (2), for an inmate of a state institution or a resident subject to s. 303.01 (1) (b) employed under s. 303.06 (2), compensation under ch. 102 on being released fro…

303.22 Work on Sundays and holidays. No prisoner, or resident subject to s. 303.01 (1) (b), may be compelled to work on Sunday or a legal holiday, except if the work is necessary household work or when the work is necessary to maintain the management or discipline of the institut…