1. (1) Pursuant to s. 980.067, Stats., the director of the secure mental health facility established under s. 46.055, Stats., the Wisconsin resource center established under s. 46.056, Stats., or any secure mental health unit or facility provided by the department of corrections under s. 980.065 (2), Stats., may, at his or her discretion, allow a patient detained or committed under ch. 980, Stats., to leave the grounds of a facility and be escorted by staff to a location within the state of Wisconsin for a purpose consistent with the therapeutic interests of the patient and the security interests of the facility and the community, including any of the following:

   1. (a) To visit a dying or deceased relative under security conditions imposed by the facility director.
   2. (b) To receive medically necessary health services that are not available at the facility.
   3. (c) To engage in pre-placement or pre-discharge activities when the patient has a proposed or approved supervised release plan under s. 980.08, Stats., or a discharge plan.

2. (2) If the patient requests a visit under sub. (1) (a), the director shall base his or her decision upon consideration of all issues deemed pertinent by the director, including any of the following:

   1. (a) The degree of kinship between the patient and the person the patient is visiting.
   2. (b) The meaningfulness of the relationship between the patient and the person the patient is visiting.
   3. (c) The therapeutic interests of the patient.
   4. (d) The distance the patient would need to be transported.
   5. (e) The risks the patient poses to the community.
   6. (f) The recommendations of the patient’s treatment team and the security director.
3. (3) The director shall determine the maximum duration of escorted leave and may impose other conditions appropriate to the safety of the community, security of the facility, or therapeutic interests of the patient.

History

History: CR 02-112: cr. Register March 2003 No. 567, eff. 4-1-03; CR 18-066: am. (1) (intro.), (c) Register March 2020 No. 771, eff. 4-1-20.