In 1909 the Wisconsin legislature gave courts the authority to place certain adult offenders on probation. Supervision of these offenders was the responsibility of the State Board of Control's Probation Department. With the addition of state parolees to its jurisdiction in 1932, the
Department was renamed the Division of Probation and Parole. In 1939, the division became the Bureau of Probation and Parole under the Division of Corrections in the newly formed State Department of Public Welfare. By 1954, probation had become the responsibility of the Field Services Section of the Division of Corrections. In 1967, the State Department of Public Welfare was abolished and the Division of Corrections became part of the new Department of Health and Social Services.
The Field Services Section employed agents in district offices to supervise offenders placed on probation by state courts, released on parole from state correctional institutions, or on parole or probation from other states. The section supervised all adult probation cases in Wisconsin, except those originating in Milwaukee County, which had its own probation officers.
Supervision by an agent of the Field Services Section typically began with a pre-sentence investigation to assist the court in determining an offender's disposition. The agent then conducted a social investigation, developed a treatment plan, and worked with the offender for the duration of his or her sentence to stabilize family life, secure employment, and monitor progress.
