Louisiana Revised Statutes 28:59 – Commitment of prisoners
Terms Used In Louisiana Revised Statutes 28:59
- administrator: means a person in charge of a treatment facility or his deputy. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 28:2
- Department: means the Louisiana Department of Health. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 28:2
- person: includes a body of persons, whether incorporated or not. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 1:10
- Treatment: means an active effort to accomplish an improvement in the mental condition or behavior of a patient or to prevent deterioration in his condition or behavior. See Louisiana Revised Statutes 28:2
- Treatment facility: includes but is not limited to the following, and shall be selected with consideration of first, medical suitability; second, least restriction of the person's liberty; third, nearness to the patient's usual residence; fourth, financial or other status of the patient; and fifth, patient's expressed preference, except that such considerations shall not apply to forensic facilities:
(i) Public and private behavioral health services providers licensed pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statutes 28:2
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
A. Any person found not guilty by reason of insanity by a criminal court may be ordered to the proper institution in accordance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 654 et seq.
B. Any person who is determined to lack the capacity to proceed, who will not attain the capacity to proceed with his trial in the foreseeable future, and who is not a danger to himself or others, shall be discharged in accordance with Code of Criminal Procedure Article 648 et seq. However, this release is without prejudice to any right the state may have to institute civil commitment proceedings pursuant to La. Rev. Stat. 28:53 or 54. Furthermore, this person may be held in a treatment facility for a reasonable time period pending the judicial commitment hearing. If judicial commitment proceedings are necessary, they shall be instituted pursuant to Code of Criminal Procedure Article 648(B)(3) after a determination that the person will not attain the capacity to proceed with his trial.
C. Any person serving a sentence who develops a mental illness may be committed to the proper institution in the manner provided for judicial commitment by the district court of the place of incarceration and contradictorily with the director or administrator of the place of incarceration or with the sheriff of that parish. The period of commitment shall be credited against the sentence imposed by the court.
D. The department shall designate treatment facilities for the care of clients who have a mental illness committed in accordance with this Section.
Amended by Acts 1974, No. 294, §1; Acts 1977, No. 714, §1; Acts 1978, No. 782, §1, eff. July 17, 1978; Acts 1987, No. 928, §2, eff. July 20, 1987; Acts 1990, No. 489, §1; Acts 2017, No. 369, §2; Acts 2017, No. 370, §1, eff. June 23, 2017.