Texas Prison 8ystem Suraau 04 Rsoorda and Identification Huntsville, Tvxas Attentionr Mr. J. C.Roberts EaarSira Opinion No. O-5721 Ret Insana Prison Inmates. 'Aahave carefully considered your requecrt for an opinion of this department upon the question of ocnnputing time and over-time credits of those convict.8 whohave been adjudged insane and omitted to a state hospital for the insane. Yequote in part from your letter aa followsr "Aacustodian of the records of the inmates of the Taxas Prison System. Iamendeavoring to canply with the **provisioas** of ths recent oQlmPutationlaw oontainsd in S. B. 239madeeffective as of May22, 1943. "In **aotting** upthe individual records in accordance with this law, I find that this l?ureeu still carries on its records. manyinmates rho were at various times adjudged insane bythe Walker Co&Ay courts and OOnu&ttedto atate institution8 for the insane, particularly the Rusk Stats Hospital. I am aware of the fact th8t weshall give eaoh such inmate credit for any andall aaanutstion of tima and overtlmr credits earned to and including the date of removal fromthe penitentiary, howeverthe ques**tion** ha8 arisenaa to what the inmate would be en-. titled to after leaving prison andwhile being oonfined to the Asylum. "I should like very muchto have your opinion a8 to whether thaae inmates are entitled to the tenefits of the oaarmutatlon of time aa preaoribed by law, Orshould they be aleared of our records entirely, or just howthey should betruatsd." Wehave found no Texas rtatutes upon the topic of whether or not the tima a oonvlot spends in a stats hospital na stated in your request is to be counted BItiae served onhia prison ssntsncs. m have likswiae bean unable to locate anyjudicial authority in Texas**Ten*** Pri#OB **system, page**  **2 O-5721** 

upon this rubject. **In** fact, our rearohha8 di~olo~sd but trrocams whenin the oourt has disousssd the question **of** ahether or not the the whioh a oonriaf, after oonrlati~ and crmmifinentto a penal in8titution, .spmda in a stats hospital is to be credited on his smtence. In the oam of Stat0 of Minnesota v. J. Ii. Jorgenson, 62 A.L.R., p. 244, it ns held that where **a** pereon while rening a sentenaa in a oounty jail I8 duly oamittod to 8 etato horpital for **the intane**  **and** there ooafimd. thmtima MB cn hir Bentease rhilg ao confined In the latkr inrtituticn. Thecourt pointed **out** however **that a**  Mimesota statntr rpoifioally provided that Lprlroaw serving time in a state prison, rhc is adjudged ln11aneand committed to l etats insane 

### l rylum, ahall have the time he ir confined in thmlatter counted as part of tha term of his aentmbe. &me Tens haa no rimilar statute wadoact think thir case can be sited l8an authority for the propcsitiw **that** the time 

### l pnt in an itwane arylum rhould be counted as partofthe wntenoe.

In the case of State ‘I. Bouillstte, MS La. 48. 111 So. 491, the oourt held that the timmaprlroner was confined in the priron hospital almuld be aounted an part of hir time in jail. We lik@wiae donot believe this oaae ir any authority upon **the subject**  under ooaridsratlon sinoe our &ate inlana 

### l 8ylum6 mmnot under primon suprvi~ionn.

Someinferenae to the solution of thin quartion oanbe ascertained fran certain rtatuter and decl#ions upon the inaane and the punishment of orlminala.

Article 2of the Rnal Codeprorider: *Ths objeot ofpunlrlwat ia to ruppresa criw and reform the offondw.’ Artiola 34 of the Anal Codein part roadat “. . . . **No person**  **rho beoomr**  **inrme after**  **he** ir found guilty rhll bepunished while in ruoh oondition.” Artiolsr 925 and926 of Vwnon’a Codeof Criminal Pro00 - dure rewpeatively pmvid*r

YJponthe trial of an irrue ofinranity, if the dafandant ia found to be inrano, all firthor prooeedinge in the eaaa against **him** shall b *n#pended’@il ha be- *me. mm.” *If the defendant beoomsa sane, ha @hall M brought befor, the 00w-t in **nhioh ha** uaa aonvioted or before the matrid Court inthe Counw in whiah the defendant 16 locatmd at the time he is alleged to have beOOm~ UUIO;and,. -

a jury shall be impan.;.d in the Court before which su?h **d.fe=mdSnt** is brought to try the issue of his srnity; wd, if h. is found to be ssv., th. conviction shall beenforced nsainat himas if **th. pro**  acedings hadnwcr keen suspended." If the purposn E?our criminal cod. is in part to r.fosys the offender. csrtainly **this** purpos. would not bs reached by punishing a personwhois insane; efforts to reform xucb a pwson would in most !.nstanoes be fuutll.. Also (ISindicated byArtiol. 54abows quoted, it appears to have bean the intention a0nny.d ther.by that laws. permns should not tmsubj.ct to any punirhwnt while la suchaafate. A8 shown **by the**  abcr. quotation6 fromthe Cod.of fklminal **Prooedure,** a person oh.0IHrJ!lty of **an** offans. aad ie found **to** be Inrum, all proceedings as kc :h. ariM) should be suspended. After such ap.rscn has **tagaimd hlr**  sanlly, h. is returned to anww **th.** orlminal charges so nad. against n.i*.

**: ‘** **h.** statutes n. **have** allowing oomiats ovw time for good conduct a~. nracted "in order to anaouragr prison disciplia.." S.. **~rtirtl. 6164**  !a, **Vernon ’** **s** Civil **6tatut.S et**  **T.%sS.**

-!II?7s~. Jur., p. 815, viafind the fallowing lanyagar "4psrsnn who **has** be.n s.nteno.d to impriso~.nt In **th.** pcoitantiary or ajail can s.rv. hia s.nt.ncs only byaatunl incarawation within Its mlls; noothar kjnd of' custody tilt answr or di8bharg. such lnprisonmsnt. . . .- (Citing SartU V. Stats, 10 Grim. kpp. **66:.** 38 Am.Hop. 649.)

**There** aresom. exoeptions to **the rule**  of law announced in the for.go!ng quot&ion, suah as ar. found in Article 776, Vernon*s **Cod. of**  **h;minnl** Procedure, as amendedin 1951, and Art1010 6203, **Flovlssd** Civil Statutes, but thay **have no**  application to th. qu.stion weare hers **acnsidorfng.**

?isar. of th. orinlon that **the** foregoing discussion **dis** Cosss a l.gisirt+vc policy in ?.xsa of **not** subjsc+Ang **insan. persons**  to or;minal pun'.shment andthat the time sp.nt by an insane in a atat. hospital ahcu!d not bc counted cn his senteno. as a criminal.

't 1s fJrth.r our opinion that the individual records of tb.ss ccnvIctr **rho** nra in inaan. institutions should **not** be aomplstely **roGr*d** for aos.c of **these** individuals mayat **scsso**Puturs dats rsgain his snnity. If such a contingency should arise, th. reoords would bs needed tn ordnr to have a complete history of eaoh cas., as such a person **would** bs retunsd to th. propsr penal institution to complots th. **sentence** tslnporarily suspandsd byhis Insanity.TheZongolnC, aonaluriom pmoluded my dieoumion of other matterr **oontained in**  **your** rrquelt.

**YOU-l**

# wry truly

ATTGRNRY

GRlllERIL

OF TERM

**Ry r/bmt**  **6. Kooh**  Robort 0. Kooh **Arrimtant** ROK:dbr+o

**APPROVED JAN.**  **26, 1944**  s/r,lwor Rsllorr ATTORNEY WNISRAL

OFI%%8

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