In 1965 Governor Knowles established the Governor's Commission on Law Enforcement and Crime to “improve the law enforcement and criminal justice systems” in Wisconsin. Placed under the direction of the Department of Justice, the Commission was redesignated three years later as the Wisconsin Council on Criminal Justice (WCCJ). The WCCJ was formed by executive order as the state planning agency required by federal crime control and juvenile justice laws pursuant to Congressional enactment of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. Under the terms of this act, the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration (LEAA) was created in federal Department of Justice and was authorized to award funds to state governments for planning criminal justice improvements.
In 1971, the WCCJ was reorganized by executive order and was transferred to the Executive Office. Act 27, Laws of 1983, attached the WCCJ to the Department of Administration. In 1983 the LEAA ceased to exist, and the WCCJ's primary focus was redirected to improving Wisconsin's juvenile justice system. Thereafter its primary funding source became the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA). The council's new mandate became advocating the “deinstitutionalization of status offenders; the sight and sound separation of juveniles and adults; and the removal of juveniles from adult jails and lockups.” In 1987, Wis. Act 27 abolished the WCCJ and replaced it with the Office of Justice Assistance (OJA) in the Department of Administration. The OJA administered three federal programs in Wisconsin. In addition to the JJDPA, these are the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, and the Violence Against Women Act.
The WCCJ consisted of a 30 member council of representatives from the state's law enforcement and criminal justice agencies as well as citizen representatives. Its primary missions were to provide technical assistance to local law enforcement agencies; to produce and update an annual Wisconsin criminal justice improvement plan; and to administer and evaluate grant applications. The WCCJ also assisted criminal justice agencies in Wisconsin to improve their capabilities in dealing with the causes of crime. It administered justice system assistance programs under three federal laws: the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act; the Justice Assistance Act; and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act. It operated the Statistical Analysis Center (Exec. Order 87, 1981) which performed a variety of research and statistical functions, including managing the State Uniform Crime Reporting System. Finally, the WCCJ advised the governor and legislature on all major issues involving the criminal and juvenile justice system.
