The following list of terms and phrases is followed by definitions and explanations below. Click on a term to view its meaning.

Absconded Absconded  to top

Appeal Requesting a higher court or other authority to review the decision that was made by a lower court or authority, in hopes of reversing a judgment/decision. to top

Bond Also known as "bail." An amount of money, determined by the Court, that if posted (paid) or promised by signature, allows the release of a defendant from jail before criminal court proceedings. Its purpose is to ensure the appearance of the defendant at the upcoming court proceedings. The court can add certain conditions that must be followed if the defendant is released on bail/bond. If the defendant does not appear in court and/or does not follow the conditions of bail/bond set by the Court, the defendant can lose ("forfeit") the bail/bond money. to top

Challenge Incarceration Program (CIP) One of two early release programs, (authorized by the legislature under s. 302.045 Stats., s. 302.05 Stats. and s. 973.01 Stats.) that serves as a tool for the judiciary to provide certain offenders with an incentive to actively participate in programming designed to reduce the incidence of future criminal behavior. Offenders can only participate in these programs if the court has determined that they are eligible.

These programs are six months in duration. Upon successful completion of the program, an offender can be released before their mandatory release date. If the offender is released early, the time on supervision in the community will be increased so that the total length of the sentence remains the same. Enrolled victims will be notified prior to the offender’s release. to top

Commitment order An order of commitment to the Department of Health Services will specify either institutional care or conditional release. The court shall order institutional care if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that conditional release into the community would pose a significant risk of bodily harm to the person, to others, or of serious property damage. If the court does not make this finding, it shall order conditional release. to top

Committed to Institution Persons who have been committed under Chapter 980 as a sexually violent person and who have been ordered to be placed in a DHS institution. to top

Community Supervision When released from an institution or correctional center to community supervision, the offender must report to a Division of Community Corrections Probation/Parole Agent. The agent's responsibilities are to enforce the rules of supervision and assist the offender in a successful reintegration back into the community. If the offender violates the rules of supervision, the offender may be placed in jail while the agent investigates the violation. A serious violation may result in an extended supervision revocation, which means the offender can be returned to an institution or correctional center. If the violation does not result in revocation, the agent may take other action, such as imposing new rules of supervision or requiring the offender to participate in additional treatment or counseling. to top

Conditional Release If the court finds the person appropriate for conditional release into the community, the court order places the person in the custody and control of the Department of Health Services. The conditionally released person is subject to the conditions set by the court and to the rules of the department. to top

Conditional Release Revocation If the Department of Health Services alleges that a released person has violated any condition or rule, or that the safety of the person or others requires that conditional release be revoked, he or she may be taken into custody under the rules of the department. If the court determines after a hearing that any rule, condition or the safety of the person or others requires that the conditional release be revoked, it may revoke the order for conditional release and order that the released person be placed in an appropriate institution until the expiration of the commitment or until again conditionally released. to top

Correctional Center A Wisconsin Department of Corrections minimum-security facility for offenders. to top

Court-Ordered "Court ordered" refers to something required or "ordered" by a judge. A person can be "court ordered" to pay restitution, to attend treatment, to stay away from someone, to give someone something, etc. to top

Crime Victim Compensation Money available through the Wisconsin Department of Justice "Crime Victim Compensation Program" that may be paid to eligible victims for expenses associated with a crime, such as medical expenses, lost wages, funeral expenses, etc. The following may be eligible to receive payment:

• an innocent victim who suffers injury from a crime
• a dependent or legal representative of an innocent victim who has been killed as a result of a crime
• a person who is injured while aiding a crime victim or helping a police officer
• a person who suffers a reaction from the death of a family or household member
• a person who is injured in an automobile accident caused by a drunk driver

These claims are time-sensitive. The time limit for filing a claim with the Department of Justice, Crime Victim Compensation Program is one year from the date of the crime. There is a provision to extend this time limit, however this is for limited situations only. If you believe you will have financial expenses in the future as a result of the crime, it is important to file a claim now. The exact dollar amount can be determined later and your file will remain open until the maximum dollar amount has been paid out, as long as you have an initial claim on file with the Department of Justice.

If you are interested in filing, you may write to:

Crime Victim Compensation
PO Box 7951
Madison, WI 53707-7951

You may call:

Toll-free: 1-800-446-6564
Madison area: 608-264-9497
V/TTY 608-267-8902

Or you may access information on the Crime Victim Web site. to top

Defendant The person charged with having committed a crime. to top

Defer Refers to the specific period of time until an offender in prison will next be considered for release to the community on parole. For example, a "12 month defer" means that the Parole Commissioner has considered the facts in an offender's case, including the offender's adjustment, participation in treatment, etc., and has decided against release at that time, but will review the case again in 12 months to see if the offender is appropriate for release at that time. to top

Department of Corrections (DOC) The state of agency that is responsible for the care, custody and control of offenders placed on supervision and/or incarcerated in a state correctional facility by the court. The Department of Corrections also provides services to crime victims, and administers Wisconsin's Sex Offender Registry Program. to top

Detained Persons who are being held or detained in a Department of Health Services facility pending commitment but have not yet had their commitment trial. to top

Discharge Persons who had been committed under Chapter 980 but whose commitment was ended by a court order. A person is discharged from the 980 commitment if the Court concludes that the person no longer meets the definition of a Sexually Violent Person. Persons discharged from commitment are no longer under DHS supervision or custody. to top

Dismissed Persons who have had their commitment trial but were not committed and their petitions are dismissed by the Court. These persons are considered dismissed and are subsequently discharged from the DHS facility. to top

Disposition The way the issues in a case get resolved, such as placing someone on probation, or sentencing someone to prison. to top

District Attorney (DA) An individual elected to charge and prosecute those accused of committing crimes. District Attorneys serve a 2-year term and work within the State Prosecutor's Office. Wisconsin has a District Attorney in every county (Shawano and Menominee Counties are combined). Victim/Witness Coordinators work in the District Attorney's offices. County Victim/Witness Offices are listed on the Contacts for Assistance page. to top

Dual Status Persons who are detained or committed under Chapter 980, but who have been returned to DOC for a subsequent criminal sentence. This additional corrections time may have been the result of a parole revocation or a sentencing for a new crime. to top

Earned Release Review Commission (ERRC) Formerly called the Parole Commission. A team of people comprised of Earned Release Review Commissioners and an Earned Release Review Chairperson. The Earned Release Review Commission is responsible for reviewing the cases of offenders in prison to determine whether or not to grant the offender an early release from prison. This decision is based on criteria that include the offender's crime, time served, conduct, program/treatment participation, release plan and input from the victim. to top

Earned Release Program (ERP) One of two early release programs, (authorized by the legislature under s. 302.045 Stats., s. 302.05 Stats. and s. 973.01 Stats.) that serves as a tool for the judiciary to provide certain offenders with an incentive to actively participate in programming designed to reduce the incidence of future criminal behavior. Offenders can only participate in these programs if the court has determined that they are eligible.

These programs are six months in duration. Upon successful completion of the program, an offender can be released before their mandatory release date. If the offender is released early, the time on supervision in the community will be increased so that the total length of the sentence remains the same. Enrolled victims will be notified prior to the offender’s release. to top

Expiration of a Commitment Order The committing court sets the duration of a commitment. After the last day of a commitment, the Department of Health Services and the court have no legal authority with the person. to top

Extended Supervision The specific length of time, as ordered by the court under the Truth-in-Sentencing law, that the offender is supervised in the community by a DOC Probation/Parole Agent following release from incarceration. (See also Community Supervision.) Other than life sentences, the term of extended supervision may not be less than 25% of the length of the term of confinement in prison. Extended supervision begins after the offender has already completed the confinement portion of their sentence. For example, an offender may be sentenced to serve six years of confinement (prison time), followed by two years of extended supervision. to top

Felony Any crime that is punishable by incarceration in a Wisconsin state prison is a felony. Every other crime is a misdemeanor. Felony is defined under WI Statute 939.60. to top

Incarceration Refers to an offender serving time in a jail, prison, or correctional center. to top

Institution A state facility in which offenders are confined. Includes prisons, secure mental health facilities, and secure child-caring institutions. to top

Institution Care If the court order specifies institutional care, the Department of Health Services shall place the person in an institution that the department considers appropriate in light of the rehabilitative services required by the person and the protection of public safety. to top

Mandatory Release The date on which the law requires the release of an offender from prison. For most offenders sentenced to prison before "Truth In Sentencing," this date is the 2/3 point in an offender's sentence. The remainder of the sentence after mandatory release is spent on parole, under the supervision of a Department of Corrections Probation/Parole Agent. (See also Presumptive Mandatory Release.) to top

Maximum Discharge The date on which a specific sentence or disposition is completed. to top

Misdemeanor A crime that is not punishable by a prison term. Misdemeanor is defined under WI Statute 939.60. to top

NGI Is the abbreviation for the legal status of Not Guilty By Reason of Mental Disease or Defect under Wisconsin State Statute 971.17. Persons under this legal status are committed to the Department of Health Services. to top

Office of Victim Services and Programs A unit of the Department of Corrections devoted to providing:

• information, assistance, advocacy and support
• assistance with concerns about Restitution
• assistance with the Parole process
• notification of changes in the Offender's status
• coordination of Victim-Offender Conferencing
• facilitation of Victim Impact Panels/Classes
• provision of education and training

Out of State Out of State to top

Out-of-State Facility An institution for Wisconsin offenders that is located outside the State of Wisconsin. to top

Parole Commission See Earned Release Review Commission. to top

Parole Eligibility Date (PED) The first established Parole Eligibility Date is the date that an offender is statutorily eligible for release on parole. The initial parole interview will be held approximately one month before the Parole Eligibility Date. At this initial interview, the Parole Commission may decide to postpone consideration for parole to a later date. A new Parole Eligibility Date will be established and the parole interview will be held two months prior to this date. Please keep in mind that sentencing structure can be very complicated, especially when an offender has multiple convictions for multiple crimes. The offender may be eligible for parole under one sentence but not another. In these cases, the offender would not be released but could be paroled from their current sentence of incarceration and begin serving their next sentence of incarceration. In every case, the fact that an offender has a parole eligibility date does not mean that they will be released. Please see terms and definitions below for Truth in Sentencing and Presumptive Mandatory Release for more information related to sentencing and release. to top

Parole Interview The "review" of the offender's case, done by a Parole Commissioner, to determine if the offender will be released on parole, or will remain incarcerated until the next established parole interview or the mandatory release date. The parole interview takes place one to two months before the Parole Eligibility Date. to top

Parole Release from incarceration, before the mandatory release date, to community supervision. Also refers to the period of supervision after release from prison, until the offender's maximum discharge date. Probation/parole agents provide supervision. to top

Petition for Termination A person on conditional release may petition the committing court to terminate the order of commitment. The court shall terminate the order of commitment unless it finds by clear and convincing evidence that further supervision is necessary to prevent a significant risk of bodily harm to the person or to others or of serious property damage. A petition for termination may not be filed unless at least 6 months have elapsed since the person was last placed on conditional release or since the most recent petition for conditional release was denied. to top

Potential Early Release Date The date displayed here is calculated by the DOC Records Office based on the offender's sentence structure. Please keep in mind that this does not necessarily mean that the offender will be released on this date, only that the offender is eligible for early release. This date may change based on a number of factors. to top

Presumptive Mandatory Release When an offender has committed a "serious felony" (see WI Statutes 302.11(1g)), the court establishes a presumptive mandatory release date. This is different from a mandatory release date in that this gives the parole commission the authority to consider keeping an offender incarcerated beyond the presumptive mandatory release date.

A presumptive mandatory release review is held prior to the offender's presumptive mandatory release date. In considering whether or not to release the offender, the Parole Commission considers if the offender's release would be a risk to the community at that time; or if the offender has refused to participate in recommended counseling or treatment.

In the event that the Parole Commission does not deny presumptive mandatory release, the offender will be released on a date established by the Parole Commission. If the Parole Commission denies presumptive mandatory release, the offender will remain incarcerated and will be scheduled for regular reviews to determine when release is appropriate. An offender may remain incarcerated until the Maximum Discharge Date. to top

Probation/Parole Agent Department of Corrections employees who provide community supervision for offenders on probation, parole, and/or other types of community supervision ordered by the court. to top

Probation Refers to a period of community supervision by a probation/parole agent, ordered by the court as a disposition in some criminal cases. to top

Registered Sex Offender People who are convicted of, adjudicated or committed for a violation, solicitation, conspiracy or attempt to commit a violation of any registerable offense on or after 12/25/1993 must register. This also includes people who have been in prison, on probation or parole or in a mental or county correctional institution since 12/25/93 for a registerable offense. Additionally, the following sex offenders are required to register in Wisconsin if they live, work or attend school in Wisconsin:

• any sex offender who is required to register with another state/jurisdiction
• any sex offender convicted in a military, tribal, or federal court
• any sex offender who has been convicted in another state of an offense comparable to one of Wisconsin's registerable offenses
• any juvenile who is on supervision and enters Wisconsin under the Interstate Compact Agreement

Please consult WI Statute 301.45 for a detailed description of the specific circumstances that require registration. More information is also available at the Sex Offender Registry Web site. to top

Restitution Refers to the amount of money that the court orders an offender to pay to the victim as part of the disposition in a criminal case. Restitution is intended to help compensate the victim for financial losses, such as property damage and medical expenses that occurred as a result of the crime. to top

Restorative Justice There are lots of definitions of restorative justice. Restorative Justice is not a program but rather a way of thinking about and dealing with crime. Restorative Justice is a justice process promoting the repair of harm caused by crime and the active involvement of victims and communities in justice processes, not simply a program or group of programs. It can include such things as restitution, community service, victim-offender conferencing, and victim impact programs. The goal behind Restorative Justice is to "restore" the victims and the community, and to engage the offender in the restoration process by helping repair the harm he/she has caused. to top

Restraining Order A court order that prohibits a person's contact with another person and/or place. If a restraining order is violated, the perpetrator may be arrested and charged with a crime. Restraining orders can be used anywhere in Wisconsin, can be valid for up to 2-years, and, in certain cases, can be obtained free of charge. For information about obtaining a restraining order, please contact the District Attorney's Office in your county. to top

Revocation If the Department of Health Services believes that a person on supervised release, or awaiting placement on supervised release, has violated, or threatened to violate, any condition or rule of supervised release, the department may petition for revocation of the order granting supervised release or may detain the person. If the department believes that a person on supervised release, or awaiting placement on supervised release, is a threat to the safety of others, the department shall detain the person and petition for revocation of the order granting supervised release. Persons detained may be placed in jail or a DHS institution. If the Court revokes the person, they are returned to a DHS institution. to top

Sentence The final disposition/penalty ordered by a judge in a criminal case. A sentence often includes a period of incarceration in jail or prison, and may also include a fine, community service work, etc. to top

Sex Offender Registry Wisconsin's Sex Offender Registry is maintained by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Sex Offender Registration Program, commonly referred to as SORP. On June 1, 1997, Wisconsin Act 440, the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification law, became effective, allowing for the collecting and dissemination of information related to certain sex offenders. Registration, while on supervision and following the expiration from sentence, serves as a means for monitoring and tracking the whereabouts of sex offenders in the community. to top

Supervised Release Persons who have been committed under Chapter 980 and have been ordered to be placed in the community by the committing Court. Individuals placed in the community remain under the Department of Health Services supervision and remain in the custody and control of DHS. to top

SVP An abbreviation for the Sexually Violent Person law or for a Sexually Violent Person who is civilly committed to the Department of Health Services pursuant to Chapter 980, Wis. Stats. to top

It is very important to note that the Registry only contains the information pertaining to those individuals convicted of sex offenses. Sexual assault in general is the most under-reported crime, and many sex offenders live in the community without anyone's knowledge other than the victim's. to top

Truth-in-Sentencing This is a recent law stating that offenders who commit a felony on or after 12/31/1999, and are sentenced to at least one year of confinement in prison, will no longer be eligible for parole until their entire period of incarceration is completed. These offenders will serve a period of extended supervision after release from prison. to top

Victim A crime victim, as defined by state law at s. 304.06(1)(c)(3) stats., is a person against whom a crime has been committed or, if the victim is deceased, an adult member of the victim's family or, if the victim is under 18 years old, the victim's parent or legal guardian. to top

Victim-Offender Conferencing A process that gives the victim the opportunity to meet with the offender to discuss the crime, along with a trained third party to facilitate the meeting. The victim is given a chance to ask the offender questions about the crime, and to tell the offender about the impact of the crime. Victim-offender conferences occur only at the request of the victim. The offender receives no special consideration for participation. to top

Victim-Witness Coordinator Individuals who work out of the County District Attorneys' Offices with issues specific to victims/survivors of crime. Victim/Witness Coordinators usually begin assisting victims/survivors directly after the crime occurred, and will continue working with the victim/survivors through the entire court process. With the exception of Sawyer and Forest Counties, all counties in Wisconsin have Victim/Witness Coordinators attached to their District Attorneys' Offices. to top

VOICE/VINE VOICE stands for "Visual Offender Information Center." VINE stands for "Victim Information Notification Everyday." An enrolled victim may access information over the telephone at 1-800-398-2403 or the over the Internet. VINE is the original automated phone system that victims use to receive information about offenders. VOICE offers victims access to general information via the Internet and allows electronic communication. VOICE also offers routine notification to enrolled victims regarding certain changes in the offender's status. to top