Waukesha County Jail Shift Log — Technical Documentation
Purpose (Operational Context)
The Jail Shift Log application is a SharePoint Online–hosted operational log used by Waukesha County jail personnel to record shift-based activities. It supports:
- Operational continuity between shifts (1st/2nd/3rd)
- Supervisory accountability (shift supervisor identified)
- Institutional memory for incidents/actions/events
- Auditability (SharePoint versioning + M365 audit logs, if enabled)
Because this is Sheriff / jail operations, treat the solution as sensitive operational data: apply appropriate controls aligned to CJIS expectations (where applicable), County security policy, and Wisconsin public records/retention practices.
1) System Overview
1.1 User-Facing Entry Point (SharePoint Page) App Page:
https://waukeshacountywi.sharepoint.com/sites/Sheriffdept/SitePages/Waukesha-County-Jail-Shift-Log.aspx
Page components:
• Buttons to “Add Log Entry” or jump to the List/Calendar views.
• Embedded custom “Recent Shift Logs” view (details below)
1.2 Data Store (SharePoint List)
List: https://waukeshacountywi.sharepoint.com/sites/Sheriffdept/Lists/Jail%20Shift%20Log/AllItems.aspx
Design intent: SharePoint list = system of record; views = different read/write experiences over the same items.
2) Data Model (List Columns & Recommended Configuration)
List: https://waukeshacountywi.sharepoint.com/sites/Sheriffdept/Lists/Jail%20Shift%20Log/AllItems.aspx
Core Fields
At minimum, each entry includes:
• Date (date of the shift/log)
• Shift Number (1 / 2 / 3)
• Shift Supervisor (person field)
• Details / Actions / Events (freeform text)
3) Views (User Interaction Patterns)
View 1 — List View (Native SharePoint)
https://waukeshacountywi.sharepoint.com/sites/Sheriffdept/Lists/Jail%20Shift%20Log/AllItems.aspx
Primary Use
• Fast entry review
• Sort/filter/group by Date, Shift, Supervisor
• Operational scanning and searching
Conditional Formatting (Shift Colorization)
Conditional formatting on the Shift Number field:
• Yellow = 1st shift
• Cyan = 2nd shift
• Purple = 3rd shift
View 2 — Calendar View (Native SharePoint Calendar View)
https://waukeshacountywi.sharepoint.com/sites/Sheriffdept/Lists/Jail%20Shift%20Log/AllItems.aspx
Primary Use
• Visual timeline of logs across a month/week
• Easy navigation by month/year
Conditional Formatting (Shift Colorization)
Conditional formatting so calendar entries reflect shift colors (Yellow/Cyan/Purple)
View 3 — Custom “Recent Logs” View (ASPX + REST)
https://waukeshacountywi.sharepoint.com/sites/Sheriffdept/SiteAssets/JailShiftLogPrint.aspx
Primary Use
• Purpose-built display not achievable via out-of-box views
• “Last N entries” quick read ($top=15)
• Print-friendly / briefing-friendly output
Data Retrieval via SharePoint REST API
REST endpoint: https://waukeshacountywi.sharepoint.com/sites/Sheriffdept/_api/Lists/getbytitle('Jail%20Shift%20Log')/items?$top=15&$orderby=Date desc,Shift_x0020_Number
What this means technically:
• _api/.../items returns list items (JSON by default)
• $top=15 limits the response to the most recent 15
• $orderby sorts newest dates first, then by shift number
• Shift_x0020_Number is the internal field name for “Shift Number” (space encoded)
Custom Code Location / Maintenance
Because this is stored under SiteAssets, treat it as a small application artifact:
• Control edits via a change management process
• Store a source-controlled copy (Git repo) of ASPX/JS/CSS
• Document ownership, last modified date, and rollback method
4) Security, Compliance, and Wisconsin-Relevant Operational Considerations
Permissions Model (Practical)
Define and document who can read, create, edit, and delete. Recommended:
• Most users: No access, or view-only
• Supervisors/records admins: Create and edit as needed, limited Delete
• IT: Site admin only (no routine data edits)
Auditability
Via native SharePoint Online M365 audit logging
Records Retention / Public Records (WI context)
Coordinate with County Corporation Counsel / Records Officer on retention schedule mapping, Purview labels, and export process for legal holds/records requests.
5) Operations (Support, Monitoring, and Troubleshooting)
Common User Issues & Fixes
• Can’t see Recent Logs page: check permissions to site, SiteAssets folder, and list
• Recent Logs blank/errors: validate REST URL, internal field names, and browser errors (401/403/404)
• Conditional formatting not showing: confirm view and JSON formatting still applied
Change Control (Recommended Minimum)
Track changes to list columns, internal names, view IDs, and ASPX/JS/CSS with ticket/date/approver/backout plan.
Backup / Recovery Reality (SharePoint Online)
Use recycle bin + versioning + retention policies; consider periodic exports if required by policy.
6) Official Documentation & Training Resources (Links)
Microsoft Learn — Introduction to lists:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/community/understanding-lists
Use and manage SharePoint list views:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-change-or-delete-a-view-of-a-list-or-library-f39951ed-236e-4cfa-a207-9a3c52046ca1
Format columns in SharePoint (JSON column formatting):
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/declarative-customization/column-formatting
SharePoint REST API overview:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/sp-add-ins/get-to-know-the-sharepoint-rest-service
OData query operations in SharePoint REST:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/sp-add-ins/use-odata-query-operations-in-sharepoint-rest-requests