Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF - AUSTtN Honorable 0. W. Stakea
General Nanages- Terns Fri8on System
HwMrille, Texar
War Gajor 3tidwd: Qpiniori 30. O-7460
tit Procrdtwa to be follwed t&e Rlson aystmlh in of % 0 handling insan yvye6 We to hospibal. .
Your lettw raqneatlng an opinion of t;lia depart- amnt has been received and is quoted balou:
& find it~aeaeasary to ruqmat an 'Opinicw your Depld%Fmrit on the follqvingt : - .
*The ,pisoanal of the State EXeeuoaya Iartitutionr (aa adiniais~rr~d by.the hard o fioutrol) have refused te necept iasane prisoners in aam instanas6, from tbr Texks FrQon System, by virtue.of the exirtene~ of Art;icl*,6203e, .%vised Civil St@utos.
"It ag$nmrr to us that ArWlbti-,J186a and 6203.~ tray conflict, 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‘iaon hoapltal.
nPleam advise uhat precadum should be f#lowed by Prison System in the handling of inJ3aum eomsat8 +a to BorpitaliUaation, that i6, which State &pnay +&ould take cm of such lnsana ClDZWiCt8, ala0 furtishLng ua with til* ;Sfu~~,~;.g~ 0iAt~So~, if any, regnrding *2 167' Hozmrable D. W. Stekqr, Pegr.2
A eubeequent letter dated October U, 1946 furnhhing additional 18, in part, as foilouer 5nfonmti0,a
*Replying to your letter of Oatober 29 19b6 ngardin Sl#, States Pslson P8yahopathb #or IzvJktiale 6203e, will Hosphl tall. ii
l dvlse that aair hospital wee oonrtruotrd out, ;ibm;ey approprited by Forty-Third Legir-
. Howver, in this conneotioa, we wleh to advie. the6 thir hoepitel he8 been ueed
prlncipelly for a general tiepita for t&e
verloue kindsj end 3: l ntfr o Tame Pr b oa on p a very eaall pert hem rbe& sdadtting cneee of
been uord forpqehopa?dia Xn fact, ptlonte: %t is not. l qtip@d to hmdle but.8 wry limited
aumbm of palciurbr in iihnt oatbgwyr . . ,‘.
170.. oasiad bu.thiAhd L&is-
“Seati& 1.‘~. That. ahaid dill be’b&it, l etabliehed aad -mintai.ned, as a, part, of ae SyetcmP of Texas, an~~Xneti~u~lon
*iron for the
examinatlon,;obssrvstian, $reatmrtt itwar-,
: aeration of all pereoixii whb h8~e. been oonvlcted felony, ytmd who &aye-.been duly:;adjudged In-
sane. by any wiqmtent Court rb 14Cr in thr St&o
of .Texaej cad, whit here ,beea +quitted by P
Cow% of bmpetenb Juriediotioa upon the +g-aunde
of insanityi eeld’institutiozk to be knoti as the
Stete~,P~~eon Pepchopethio Hospital.
r .
*section 2. Pile consttiation, rup art and maintenance OS #aid inrtitution sha f 1 be
azAdw by appropriation to the Prisor? SyYyrtsm
of.Toxar for t%at purpose. Said Iaatitution
shall located cn any land adjaaent to6 or . . within the u@llB iif the prinoa 8yrtoar at
Huntwille, tiallsw~ounkijl, hxw.
*Sed$.iea )q 'The Teinr-Stake Priron wr,ob Other gw8tm in abarge of the
management sai priron shall, upon the
advice of 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 hiwoelf and &ml y not to oxaeed Five iiundmd’ P
. If;9 Uonorable 0. W. St&or, Pam Q
~{~.O@D$~d &‘,‘ar,” tibh water, lights,
Thi Cenor,al Hsn.ager of die Stata Prison If;’ aha appoiat auob assistant
phyaloiana, wtrll qualified in paychtitry as he
may deem beat, and. aaid asaiat~8 phymiaiana
shali rearire a salary to ba f$xed by the Logis-
latuts kaot to crwsed Two Thou88nd SItrrt Hundred
()2,700.000) Doliars per jeer with prqvialona far hbwrlf and family.
fo@ board 1wMry The mMag*I? of al*. Prlaml ?yacsrP SbrU’ supply thq necessary guarda.* ‘waution 8. Thr feet that the proviiiona ia Stat* Peniteat;Kast'p beooma hmne, he
aholl tri+at6d b -ttm @iroll phylicrisn at
rrutltaril$o gad ah aI l.be obswved by raid
Judgr shall i'orthwith proved 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 *5 II. W. Stakes, Page 5
Uenorsbh g&g 9 ata Ii08 ital Or the treatma*
%“P +-+I+ o m 0~30 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 prison farm booomoa inaaar he
8hU.l lmmdiately be tranr)rrrud to tb nu&
prison at gn.tWvU~e fer obsarvation and treat-.~,
rent.
*S46tioa 3. Thr cotmtiy Judge 6nd Offiwr* Wying uid 60nvist 6h*ll reaeir6 the oara6 feea
as allWed by law the trirl of.sueb aaaeu
in the County Courtl but all ooat6 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 treatment of tihe inoaa*, tt+
get&r with the oxpenae of transfer 6&d to auah M iaetltutton shall Wd 96
riavnar aanagar of the P~iaon Sy&tea smt of fWla
low& foe 'haagwo.nt MB apratloa of the
PFsaon Syob-.
-.--~ _- -- -- - $. an eaergeaoy and I necsoefty that th4~ .Conati8utiimal Xul6 r&Wring Rllla to be read on &we*
several dry6 in eaah UCUSO be aueplsnded and
that this Aat ahall take sffeat.and b6 In
for66 from and after Its pauaago, end it is
6naated.w (%aphaaia added)
ionornb3.e .P. N. dtaicer, Pnge 6
Wlo.bvlirve a oonsldemtion alro of Artlclo 932a, 7smonfe Co60 of ~Crimlnal Rocedure will afford he1 in
nrrivlng at the intvmt of the Legisiaturs. Article f2e
“a. To have besn lnmno at the tiao the act is allegid to have be*n sotss~ttmd~ but 8ano at be imnodiatsl~ dla-
the t5.m of trial, ha ah+ hargrdt “11. To kiava been inoun a8 thi tim ~the uct 18’ allaged to havr been c omdtted and ,insmo at tbo ‘tine triel, or aane at tima the
act Aa allegvd to have been eoaaritted and3naank
at W tiru af t+lj the 00&t ,~hall therrupon
a ak o .an6. hqivo l nt@red 8~ the alnute.8 of the Court
nn WMr aom~tt~ng the dofendsnt to 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 fcwthwlth be eertifiied to the
County Judge who shall at once take’ the neaessary
&spa. tg have’ the defendant eomaitted to and eon-
fi.nod in a State hoepitsl for the lnaane untfl ha
brcoxer aant,
.: Y3radion 2. When defez&i~:on the trial of tie main charge’ ia the Inmnitp ;of the 4ifez.w
dant the jury shdL1 inbtrmcted, If they 86&t
him on that g~ouod, to atate that ,faat with thair
verdiat, and if the7 further find the defendant:
ea.~ To hem been iwane at the ‘tima the aot is alleged to 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 alleged to hnve been aommittad and in-
5nn. at the tlae of trial, or Bane at the tim
the aat Is alleged to have been committed and
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 defendanb to the euatody ef the aheriff2, te kept l ubjeot to the further elder the,
County Judge of.the.oou%t~ and the prooeod&ga 8hall forthwith be amtiffed t. ahe aOmy -
Judg. who dmll at ozwe 8ILlIo th n9cresewy atepa to hato the defendant aoiianittod to aad
coafiaed in a StBate hospital for the lnsana
until he beaon.. .M.,
5Seotiaa 3. When bh. defer&dent ao aoiaa&&ed to a hospital tha lnaane beefma son., tha
ruporintendent of the hoapitaX ah~ll ire written
not:.. of that faet to the Judge of tit l c ourt tamed.,. Upon
fma which the order of ecamitment
reaeipt of aueh aot%ae Ju a 'shall repulre the sheriff to bring the defeon ant frix8 the bo dst
:pital.and place bin in.tbe proper euatody~uptl? IL jury io moB h*arin(c-may be bad‘before .;
the Cvur% to deternine 6afendant*a l anityr.andif he
be found mne he ahallbe diaehargad, unl~ahe rioualyfouad to ba aaue a8 ~,tlme
hadbecm t-r ia alle;[gPd’to hare eommltted the
a% wMch Off.I%S. &argad in:whiah .V.nt, un1eas p1~viim5ly aaquitt.d, he a&all be tried.for the offenra
eiwsrged."
Althou& Artial 932a, v,r C. C. P., deals with the question of ~inaanity, when Inter 8.d as a defenaa, to a
crime and doe. not eovei the l e r 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 tige the a@t ie alleged to have been a0nuaitt.d 5nd attha time of trial, (2) all peraons l zme at the tlae the act ia alleged to have been oolamitted and inrane at the thee of tri81.
Bonorable D. W. Stakes, Page 8
Tha additions1 information supplied in your saoond letter leads ua to the conclusion thnt there is in effeat no State Prison Payohopathlc HoaplBl aa provided for in Artlole 6203e. Tou atate that, a prison hoapitnl was oonstruated out of money appropriated by the 43rd Leglalature, but that it la uaed prinolpally as a general hoapitrl is rqulpped to handle but a limited number of payahopathia patienta, and that no ap' pristlon haa ever been mado to pay a Superinten- dent w ca led for ia Seotion 6 of Article 6203e. p" for the aonatruation of Tha appropriation
hospital 18 found in the Qeneral Appropriation Bill
li3rd Legislature and la aa follows3
"hospital (to"be uaad alao ior ,oriminally Lnaane) to be built with coaviot labor within tie
prison walla at Huntavrtllo, Teacaa . . . &iO,OOOe
A aearoh of the appropriation bills alnaa 1933 discloses that no appro riation has ever baea made to pay a .iuperintendent aa aal P ed for in 3eotion 6 of Article 62038.
Xt is tiie~opinion of this departmen tha8 until the defloienoier~alroady wation~d in oonneotion with Artiole 62036 are met, Arti6lcl 3186a V. 1. G. Y:, .ind Artiola 932a V. 0. C. P1, willcontrol. hthough there may be a hoapitol within the prison wall8 suitable for the housing ,oP inaane, it ia not proparly ett?ffsd ae urlled for ln Articlo 6203, and there~fore all praotiaal purposes it is not the.Gtnts Prison Paychopathio Hospltsl aa aontemplated by Artialo 620%.
It is the further opinion of this deptitnent that until thehospital ia properly stnffed and equipped all ln- should be sent to a State tioapital in aaaordanoo sane persona with Artiole 3186a, V.A.C.S., and Atiiolr 932a, V.C.C.P.
trust thia aatiafactorllp answ6ra your inquiry. Your8 very truly