County reforestation camps
Wis. Stat. § 303.07
in effect(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, without compensation unless otherwise determined by the county board, in charge of a superintendent who shall have the powers and duties of a jailer.
(2) When convicted persons are subject to commitment to the county jail, or to the Wisconsin state prisons under s. 939.62 (1) (a) or 939.623 (2) (a) for a term not exceeding 2 years, the court may instead commit them for equivalent terms to a reforestation camp authorized under sub. (1).
(3) Each prisoner serving a sentence under this section who could have been sentenced to a state prison is subject to s. 302.11 (1), (1g), (1q) and (2). Each prisoner serving such a sentence may be transferred to a state prison upon recommendation of the superintendent and approval of the department. The county board may, pursuant to its regulations approved by the department, extend to all other prisoners similar pecuniary earnings and rewards, subject to similar conditions and limitations as those prescribed by s. 302.12 for prisoners in the Wisconsin state prisons.
(5) Any county may contract with an adjoining county having a county reforestation camp, upon such terms and conditions as may be agreed upon, for keeping, maintaining and employing without compensation unless otherwise provided by the contract, convicted persons subject to county jail sentence, and in that event such persons may be committed to such county reforestation camp in the adjoining county.
(6) Any officer who shall receive the commitment of any person to the county reforestation camp shall convey such person thereto as soon as practicable; and shall be entitled to compensation at the rate of 10 cents per mile for each mile actually traveled in such service, going and returning, and in addition 5 cents per mile for the transportation of each prisoner.
(7) If any inmate of a reforestation camp, in the performance of work in connection with the maintenance of the camp, is injured so as to be permanently incapacitated, or to have materially reduced earning power, the inmate may upon discharge be allowed and paid such compensation as the department of workforce development finds the inmate entitled to. The inmate shall be compensated on the same basis as if the injury had been covered by ch. 102, except that the total paid to any such inmate shall not exceed $1,000 and may be paid in installments. If the inmate is from an adjoining county such county shall pay such compensation. In case of dispute the procedure for hearing, award and appeal shall be as set forth in ss. 102.16 to 102.26.
(8) Sections 302.31 to 302.42 insofar as they relate to persons committed and are not in conflict with this section shall apply to persons committed under this section.
(9) Inmates of a reforestation camp sentenced to the camp for less than one year or in lieu of a county jail sentence are subject to s. 302.43.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/303.07Fetched: 10/7/2026