Children ages 10 through 16 who commit an unlawful act may receive a municipal ticket which is issued by a local law enforcement agency, or a criminal charge issued by the Racine County District Attorney's Office. The type and severity of the unlawful activity defines the kind of legal consequences the youth may receive. Municipal violations are handled by local Municipal Courts and are not ordinarily referred to the Human Services Department.

Under some circustances, the youth may immediatly be transported to the Detention Center because of the nature of the crime. In some instances a judge may order incarceration in the Detention Center as punishment for a crime or for their inappropriate behavior such as not complying with an order of the court.

Youth aged 17 or over are treated as adults under Wisconsin criminal code and thus are subjected to Adult Court jurisdiction.