OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF -
AUSTtN
Honorable0. W. Stakea
GeneralNanages-
Terns Fri8on System
HwMrille, Texar
War Gajor 3tidwd: Qpiniori 30. O-7460
tit Procrdtwa to be follwed
t&e Rlson aystmlh in
% 0 handling of insan
yvye6 We to hospibal.
.
Your lettw raqneatlngan opinion of t;liadepart-
amnt has been receivedand is quoted balou:
& find it~aeaeasaryto ruqmat an 'Opinicw
of your Depld%Fmrit
on the follqvingt :-
.
*The ,pisoanalof the State EXeeuoaya
Iartitutionr(aa adiniais~rr~d by.the hard o
have refusedte necept iasane prisoners
fioutrol)
in aam instanas6,from tbr Texks FrQon System,
by virtue.ofthe exirtene~of Art;icl*,6203e,
.%visedCivil St@utos.
"It ag$nmrrto us that ArWlbti-,J186a
and
6203.~ trayconflict,aa Artiele'3~86a~providee
for lnmne‘cionvicts to be turned over to tha
stata~hoapitals, v&ire @ti8lo 620% propiderr
that inaans tmxdatr ara to be &old ib the
pr‘iaonhoapltal.
nPleam adviseuhat precadum should be
f#lowed by the Prison System in the handling
of inJ3aumeomsat8 +a to BorpitaliUaation, that
i6, which State &pnay +&ould take cm of such
lnsana ClDZWiCt8, ala0 furtishLngua with til*
;Sfu~~,~;.g~ 0iAt~So~,if any, regnrding
167'
HozmrableD. W. Stekqr,Pegr.2
A eubeequentletter dated October U, 1946
furnhhing additional 5nfonmti0,a 18, in part, as foilouer
*Replyingto your letter of Oatober 29
19b6 ngardin Sl#, States Pslson P8yahopathb
Hosphl tall.ii#or IzvJktiale6203e,will
ldvlse that aair hospital wee oonrtruotrd out,
;ibm;ey approprited by the Forty-ThirdLegir-
. Howver, in this conneotioa,we wleh
to advie. the6 thir hoepitelhe8 been ueed
prlncipellyfor a generaltiepita for t&e
lntfr oTa meP r b o a3 rbe& sdadttingcneee of
verlouekindsj end on3: p a very eaall pert hem
been uord forpqehopa?dia ptlonte: Xn fact,
%t is not.lqtip@d to hmdle but.8 wry limited
aumbm of palciurbr in iihnt oatbgwyr
.. ,‘.
170..oasiad bu.thiAhd L&is-
“Seati& 1.‘~.
That.
ahaiddill be’b&it,
letabliehedaad -mintai.ned, as a, part, of ae
*iron SyetcmPof Texas, an~~Xneti~u~lon for the
examinatlon,;obssrvstian, $reatmrttand itwar-,
: aerationof all pereoixii whb h8~e.been oonvlcted
of felony, ytmdwho &aye-.been duly:;adjudged In-
sane.by any wiqmtent Court rb 14Cr in thr St&o
of .Texaejcad, whit here ,beea+quitted by P
Cow% of bmpetenb Juriediotioaupon the +g-aunde
of insanityieeld’institutiozk to be knoti as the
Stete~,P~~eon PepchopethioHospital.
r .
168
*section2. Pileconsttiation,
rup art
and maintenanceOS #aid inrtitutionshaf 1 be
azAdwby appropriationto the Prisor? SyYyrtsm
of.Toxarfor t%at purpose. Said Iaatitution
shall be located cn any land adjaaent to6 or .
within the u@llB iifthe prinoa8yrtoarat
Huntwille, tiallsw~ounkijl,hxw.
*Sed$.iea
)q 'TheTeinr-StakePriron
wr,ob Other gw8tm in abarge of the
management of sai priron shall, upon the
adviceof any priaoa phyalaim mnd any
prisonor te raid Bospit'iA
for abrervation,
oar@-and treatment for thirty ()o) by8
and upon final 41LIpminattLwI
h shall eit&
be soturned to aoti%arwmD or oa efiidavlt
of insanity shall! be Silrd agahat hi@ a&,
provided by law;
~(J3,p3.00) I)ollaro er yearr, with provielons
for hiwoelfand &ml Py not to oxaeed Five iiundmd’
.
If;9
Uonorable0. W. St&or, Pam Q
~{~.O@D$~d &‘,‘ar,”tibh water, lights,
Thi Cenor,al Hsn.ager
of die Stata Prison ahaIf;’
appoiatauob assistant
phyaloiana,wtrllqualifiedin paychtitry as he
may deem beat, and.aaid asaiat~8 phymiaiana
shali rearire a salary to ba f$xed by the Logis-
latuts kaotto crwsed Two Thou88nd SItrrt Hundred
()2,700.000)Doliarsper jeerwith prqvialona
fo@ board and 1wMry far hbwrlf and family.
The mMag*I? of al*. Prlaml ?yacsrPSbrU’ supply
thq necessaryguarda.*
‘waution 8. Thr feet that the proviiiona
ia the Stat* Peniteat;Kast'p
beooma hmne, he
aholl be tri+at6d at
b -ttm @irollphylicrisn
gad ah l.be obswved by raid
rrutltaril$o aI
Judgr shalli'orthwithproved to try said can-
vlct in the same'maamr a0 other persona and
under tha same rules of prooodur.aa apply to
the,triof.Of &itiSoM Who b0Uoin'3
i~r88R8.m
Uenorsbh II. W. Stakes,Page 5
g&g 9 ata Ii08ital Or the treatma*
%“P
o m 0~30 +-+I+
OF o her p a6 proridrd hereafter
by law, provided tbe provialon of thla law 6halli
not apply to prisoner6 under aentenae of death
.md oonfiaed within the State Penitentiary.
%eatioa 2. When a Stetr Conviot, lo,aated
01)My of the prison farm booomoainaaar he
8hU.l lmmdiately be tranr)rrrud to tb nu&
prison at gn.tWvU~e fer obsarvation and treat-.~,
rent.
*S46tioa 3. Thr cotmtiyJudge 6nd Offiwr*
Wying uid 60nvist 6h*ll reaeir6 the oara6feea
as allWed by law for the trirl of.sueb aaaeu
in the County Courtl but all ooat6 and expwtaea
lnaident thereto lmIlu&ing Cow% eoata and fees,
ind 8h6 aorta of p~~vlding the nemlawy olothing
for tlw aWesion of said aonviot to & State
Xoapit~ Pa* the treatmentof tihe inoaa*, tt+
get&r with the oxpenaeof transfer 6&d
riavnar to auah M iaetltutton shall
96 Wd
the aanagar of the P~iaon Sy&tea smt of fWla
low& foe 'haagwo.nt MB apratloa of the
PFsaon Syob-.
-.--~ _- -- -- -
an eaergeaoyand $.
I necsoefty that th4~.Conati8utiimal
Xul6 r&Wring Rllla to be read on &we*
severaldry6 in eaah UCUSO be aueplsndedand
that this Aat ahall take sffeat.and b6 In
for66 from and after Its pauaago, end it is 60
6naated.w (%aphaaiaadded)
ionornb3.e
.P.N. dtaicer,
Pnge 6
Wlo.bvlirve
a oonsldemtion alro of Artlclo932a,
7smonfe Co60 of ~CrimlnalRocedure will afford he1 in
nrrivlng at the intvmtof the Legisiaturs. Article f2e
“a. To have besn lnmno at the tiao the act
is allegidto have be*n sotss~ttmd~ but 8anoat
the t5.m of trial, ha ah+ be imnodiatsl~dla-
hargrdt
“11. To kiavabeen inoun a8 thi tim ~the
uct 18’allaged to havr been c omdtted and ,insmo
at tbo ‘tine of triel, or aane at the tima the
act Aa allegvd to have been eoaaritted and3naank
at W tiruaf t+lj the 00&t ,~hall therrupon
a a k.ao h n6
q. lnt@red 8~ the alnute.8
ivo of the Court
nn WMr aom~tt~ng the dofendsntto thr Qustody
of the shsriff, to be kmpt oubjoct to the Jurt+er
ord6r of Thor’ County Judge of’the uounty,and t&a
pro&edinga shall fcwthwlthbe eertifiied to the
County Judge who shall at once take’the neaessary
&spa. tg have’the defendanteomaitted to and eon-
fi.nodin a State hoepitslfor the lnaaneuntfl ha
brcoxer aant,
.:
Y3radion2. When the defez&i~:on the trial
of tie main charge’ ia the Inmnitp ;of the 4ifez.w
dant the jury shdL1 be inbtrmcted,If they 86&t
him on that g~ouod, to atate that ,faatwith thair
verdiat,and if the7 further find the defendant:
ea.~ To hem been iwane at the ‘timathe aot
is allegedto have been oommlttrrd,but sane at the
time of trial, he ahall be Lmedlataly disoharged;
Honorable D. #. Ytakea,Page $
"b. To have been Inanne at the time the
act is allegedto hnve been aommittad and in-
5nn. at the tlae of trial, or Bane at the tim
the aat Is allegedto have been committedand
insane at the tiae of the trial, the Cou&
shall thereupon 5mko and hare entered on the
minn~ea of the Oourt an order ..nmitting the
defendanbto the euatodyef the aheriff2, te
be k ep lubjeot
t to the furtherelder of the,
County Judge of.the.oou%t~ and the prooeod&ga
8hall forthwith be amtiffed t. ahe aOmy -
Judg. who dmll at ozwe 8ILlIoth n9cresewy
atepa to hato the defendantaoiianittod to aad
coafiaedin a StBatehospital for the lnsana
until he beaon.. .M.,
5Seotiaa3. When bh. defer&dent ao aoiaa&&ed
to a hospitalfor tha lnaane beefma son., tha
ruporintendent of the hoapitaX ah~ll ire written
not:.. of that faet to the Judge of tit l c o ur t
fma which the order of ecamitment tamed.,.Upon
reaeiptof aueh aot%ae the Ju a 'shall repulre
the sheriffto bring the defeon dstant frix8 the bo
:pital.andplace bin in.tbe proper euatody~uptl? 2
the h*arin(c-may be bad‘before IL juryio moB .;
Cvur% to deternine6afendant*alanityr.andif he
be found mne he ahallbe diaehargad,unl~ahe
hadbecm rioualyfouad to ba aaue a8 ~,tlme
a% wMch t-ria alle;[gPd’to hare eommlttedthe
Off.I%S. &argad in:whiah.V.nt, un1eas p1~viim5ly
aaquitt.d, he a&all be tried.forthe offenra
eiwsrged."
Althou& Artial 932a, v,rC. C. P., deals with the
questionof ~inaanity, when Inter 8.d as a defenaa,to a
crime and doe. not eovei the ler of fa.68 before uai 2111
we t l&k it aignifiaant b&o.use it pmrides for ,wami en%
of 11) all persona who are found to here
g.: gggq#q a the tige the a@t ie alleged to have been
a0nuaitt.d 5nd attha time of trial, and (2) all peraonslzme
at the tlae the act ia alleged to have been oolamittedand
inrane at the thee of tri81.
173
BonorableD. W. Stakes, Page 8
Tha additions1informationsuppliedin your saoond
letterleads ua to the conclusionthnt there is in effeat no
State Prison PayohopathlcHoaplBlaa providedfor in Artlole
6203e. Tou atate that,a prison hoapitnlwas oonstruatedout
of money appropriatedby the 43rd Leglalature,but that it
la uaed prinolpallyas a generalhoapitrl is rqulppedto
handle but a limited number of payahopathiapatienta,and
that no ap' pristlonhaa ever been mado to pay a Superinten-
dent w cap"led for ia Seotion6 of Article6203e.
Tha appropriation for the aonatruation
of
hospital18 found in the QeneralAppropriationBill
li3rdLegislatureand la aa follows3
"hospital(to"be uaad alao ior ,oriminally
Lnaane)to be built with coaviot labor within tie
prisonwalla at Huntavrtllo,Teacaa. . . &iO,OOOe
A aearohof the appropriationbills alnaa 1933
disclosesthat no appro riation has ever baea made to pay
a .iuperintendent
aa aalPed for in 3eotion6 of Article62038.
Xt is tiie~opinion of this departmen tha8 until the
defloienoier~alroady wation~d in oonneotionwith Artiole
62036 are met, Arti6lcl 3186a V. 1. G. Y:, .indArtiola932a
V. 0. C. P1, willcontrol. hthough there may be a hoapitol
within the prisonwall8 suitablefor the housing,oPinaane,
it ia not proparlyett?ffsd ae urlled for ln Articlo6203,
and there~forefor all praotiaalpurposesit is not the.Gtnts
Prison Paychopathio Hospltslaa aontemplatedby Artialo620%.
It is the furtheropinionof this deptitnent that
until thehospital ia properlystnffed and equippedall ln-
sane persona should be sent to a State tioapital
in aaaordanoo
with Artiole3186a, V.A.C.S., and Atiiolr932a, V.C.C.P.
trust thia aatiafactorllp
answ6rayour inquiry.
Your8 very truly
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion