OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF - 

AUSTtN 

Honorable 0. W. Stakea 

General NanagesTerns 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 raqneatlng an opinion of t;lia departamnt has been received and is quoted balou: 

& find it~aeaeasary to ruqmat an 'Opinicw 

of 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-,J186and 

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 the 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 
167' 

Hozmrable D. W. Stekqr, Pegr.2 

A eubeequent letter dated October U, 1946 

furnhhing additional 5nfonmti0,a 18, in part, as foilouer 

19b6 

*Replying to your letter of Oatober 29 

ngardin 

Hosphl tall. ii 

Sl#, States Pslson P8yahopathb 

#or IzvJktiale 6203e, will 

l dvlse that aair hospital wee oonrtruotrd out, 

;ibm;ey approprited by the 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 

l ntfro Ta me P rbo a 3 

verloue kindsj end 3: 

rbe& sdadtting cneee of 

on p a very eaall pert hem 

been uord forpqehopa?dia ptlonte: Xn fact, 

%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 

*iron SyetcmP of Texas, an~~Xneti~u~lon for the 

examinatlon,;obssrvstian, $reatmrtt and itwar-, 

: aeration of all pereoixii whb h8~e. been oonvlcted 

of felony, ytmd who &aye-.been duly:;adjudged Insane. 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 . 

168 

*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 be 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 of 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 hshall 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 hiwoelf and &ml P y not to oxaeed Five iiundmd’ 
. 

If;9 

Uonorable 0. W. St&or, Pam Q 

~{~.O@D$~d &‘,‘ar,” tibh water, lights, 

of die Stata Prison If;’ 

Thi Cenor,al Hsn.ager 

aha auob assistant 

phyaloiana, wtrll 

appoiat 

qualified in paychtitry as he 

may deem beat, and. aaid asaiat~8 phymiaiana 

shali rearire a salary to ba f$xed by the Logislatuts kaot to crwsed Two Thou88nd SItrrt Hundred 

()2,700.000) Doliars per jeer with prqvialona 

fo@ board and 1wMry far hbwrlf and family. 

The mMag*I? of al*. Prlaml ?yacsrP SbrU’ supply 

thq necessary guarda.* 

‘waution 8. Thr feet that the proviiiona 

ia the Stat* Peniteat;Kast'p beooma hmne, he 

aholl be 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 canvlct 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 

%“P +-+I+ g&g 9 ata Ii08 ital Or the treatma* 

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 the 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 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 treatment of tihe inoaa*, tt+ 

get&r with the oxpenae of transfer 

96 

6&d 

riavnar to auah M iaetltutton shall Wd 

the 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 60 

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 

nrrivlng at the intvmt of the Legisiaturs. 

in 

Article f2e 

“a. To have besn lnmno at the tiao the act 

is allegid to have be*n sotss~ttmd~ but 8ano at 

the t5.m of trial, ha ah+ be imnodiatsl~ dlahargrdt 

“11. To kiava been 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 tiru af t+lj the 00&t ,~hall therrupon 

a a ko .a hn6q. ivl nt@red o 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 eonfi.nod in a State hoepitsl for the lnaane untfl ha 

brcoxer aant, 

.: 

Y3radion 2. 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 ,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 in5nn. 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 

be k epl ubjeot t to the further elder of 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 for 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 

reaeipt of aueh aot%ae the Ju 

dst 

a 'shall repulre 

the sheriff to bring the defeon ant frix8 the bo 

:pital.and place bin in.tbe proper euatody~uptl? 2 

the h*arin(c-may be bad‘before IL jury io moB .; 

Cvur% to deternine 6afendant*a l anityr.andif he 

be found mne he ahallbe diaehargad, unl~ahe 

hadbecm 

a% wMch 

rioualyfouad to ba aaue a8 ~,tlme 

t-r ia alle;[gPd’to hare eommltted the 

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 

crime and doe. not eovei the l e r 

8.d as a defenaa, to a 

we t l&k it aignifiaant b&o.use it pmrides for ,wami en% 

of fa.68 before uai 2111 

g.: gggq#q 

of 11) all persona who are found to here 

a the tige the a@t ie alleged to have been 

a0nuaitt.d 5nd attha time of trial, and (2) all peraons l zme 

at the tlae the act ia alleged to have been oolamitted and 

inrane at the thee of tri81. 
173 

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' 

p" 

pristlon haa ever been mado to pay a Superintendent w ca led for ia Seotion 6 of Article 6203e. 

Tha appropriation for the aonatruation of 

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. 0. C. P1, willcontrol. 

V. 1. G. Y:, .ind Artiola 932a 

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 for 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 lnshould be sent to a State tioapital in aaaordanoo 

3186a, V.A.C.S., and Atiiolr 932a, V.C.C.P. 

sane persona 

with Artiole 

trust thia aatiafactorllp answ6ra your inquiry. 

Your8 very truly