Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 5 - CRIMINAL OFFENSES (§§ 5-1-101 — 5-79-101) › Subtitle 1 - GENERAL PROVISIONS (§§ 5-1-101 — 5-5-501) › Chapter 2 - PRINCIPLES OF CRIMINAL LIABILITY (§§ 5-2-201 — 5-2-622) › Subchapter 3 - MENTAL DISEASE OR DEFECT (§§ 5-2-301 — 5-2-332) › Section 5-2-315 - Discharge or conditional release

(a)
(1)
(A)
When the Secretary of the Department of Human Services or his or her designee determines that a person acquitted has recovered from his or her mental disease or defect to such an extent that his or her release or his or her conditional release under a prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment would no longer create a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person or serious damage to the property of another person, the secretary shall promptly file an application for discharge or conditional release of the person acquitted with the circuit court that ordered the commitment.
(B)
In addition, if the person acquitted has an impairment due to alcohol or substance abuse, the secretary may petition the circuit court for involuntary commitment under §
20-64-815
.
(2)
The secretary shall send a copy of the application to the counsel for the person acquitted and to the attorney for the state.
(b)
(1)
Within twenty (20) days after receiving the application for discharge or conditional release of the person acquitted, the attorney for the state may petition the circuit court for a hearing to determine whether the person acquitted should be released.
(2)
If the attorney for the state does not request a hearing, the circuit court may conduct a hearing on its own motion or discharge the person acquitted.
(c)
If the circuit court finds after a hearing under subsection (b) of this section by the standard specified in §
5-2-314(e)
that the person acquitted has recovered from his or her mental disease or defect to such an extent that:
(1)
The discharge of the person acquitted would no longer create a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person or serious damage to property of another person, then the circuit court shall order that the person acquitted be immediately discharged; or
(2)
The conditional release of the person acquitted under a prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment would no longer create a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person or serious damage to property of another person, then the circuit court shall order:
(A)
That the person acquitted be conditionally released under a prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment that has been:
(i)
Prepared for the person acquitted;
(ii)
Certified to the circuit court as appropriate by the director of the facility in which the person acquitted is committed; and
(iii)
Found by the circuit court to be appropriate; and
(B)
Explicit conditions of release, including without limitation requirements that:
(i)
The person acquitted comply with the prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment;
(ii)
The person acquitted be subject to regularly scheduled personal contact with a compliance monitor for the purpose of verifying compliance with the conditions of release;
(iii)
Compliance with the conditions of release be documented with the circuit court by the compliance monitor at ninety-day intervals or at such intervals as the circuit court may order; and
(iv)
Impose the conditions of release for a period of up to five (5) years.
(d)
If the circuit court determines that the person acquitted has not met his or her burden of proof under subsection (c) of this section, the person acquitted shall continue to be committed to the custody of the Department of Human Services.
(e)
A person ordered to be in charge of a prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment of a person acquitted shall provide:
(1)
The prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment;
(2)
Periodic written documentation to a compliance monitor of compliance with the conditions of release, including, but not limited to, documentation of compliance with the prescribed:
(A)
Medication;
(B)
Treatment and therapy;
(C)
Substance abuse treatment; and
(D)
Drug testing; and
(3)
(A)
Written notice of any failure of the person acquitted to comply with the prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment to the:
(i)
Compliance monitor;
(ii)
Attorney for the person acquitted;
(iii)
Attorney for the state; and
(iv)
Circuit court having jurisdiction.
(B)
The written notice under subdivision (e)(3)(A) of this section shall be provided immediately upon the failure of the person acquitted to comply with a condition of release.
(C)
(i)
Upon the written notice under subdivision (e)(3)(A) of this section or upon other probable cause to believe that the person acquitted has failed to comply with the prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment, the person acquitted may be detained and shall be taken without unnecessary delay before the circuit court having jurisdiction over him or her.
(ii)
After a hearing, the circuit court shall determine whether the person acquitted should be remanded to an appropriate facility on the ground that, in light of his or her failure to comply with the prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment, his or her continued release would create a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person or serious damage to property of another person.
(D)
At any time after a hearing employing the same criteria, the circuit court may modify or eliminate the prescribed regimen of medical, psychiatric, or psychological care or treatment.
(f)
(1)
Regardless of whether the secretary or his or her designee has filed an application pursuant to a provision of subsection (a) of this section, and at any time during the commitment of the person acquitted, a person acquitted, his or her counsel, or his or her legal guardian may file with the circuit court that ordered the commitment a motion for a hearing to determine whether the person acquitted should be discharged from the facility in which the person acquitted is committed.
(2)
However, no motion under subdivision (f)(1) of this section may be filed more than one (1) time every one hundred eighty (180) days.
(3)
A copy of the motion under subdivision (f)(1) of this section shall be sent to the:
(A)
Director of the facility in which the person acquitted is committed; and
(B)
Attorney for the state.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 5123, eff. 7/1/2019.
Amended by Act 2019, No. 910,§ 5122, eff. 7/1/2019.
Acts 1989, No. 645, § 4; 1989, No. 911, § 4; 1995, No. 609, § 2; 1995, No. 767, § 4; 1997, No. 922, § 2; 2011, No. 990, § 1.