Opinion ID: 2277667
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Subsequent Treatment and Monitoring

Text: One of the most difficult procedural questions, and the one most in need of legislative response, is what is to be done with a prisoner who is not competent to be executed. Unless treatment is provided, the mental problem will likely persist. There are existing procedures in Tennessee for transferring a prisoner from the Department of Correction to a facility of the Department of Mental Health and Retardation, see Tenn.Code Ann. §§ 33-3-701 to -711 (1999 Supp.), however, these procedures may not apply to a death row inmate whose execution has been stayed due to incompetency. As previously stated, this is an issue which needs to be clarified by legislation. Regardless of whether treatment is provided, some procedure must exist for reviewing the prisoner's case to determine whether he or she has regained competency. Until and unless a statutory review procedure is adopted, the order staying execution will direct the parties to file in this Court every six months a status report which summarizes the prisoner's mental condition. Cf. Tenn.Code Ann. § 33-7-301(c) (Supp.1999) (requires a report at six-month intervals where a defendant has been found incompetent to stand trial); cf. Ariz.Rev.Stat. Ann. § 13-4023(A) (West Supp.1998) (requiring a report on a prisoner's treatment and status at sixty day intervals after the initial finding of incompetency); Ky.Rev.Stat. Ann. § 431.2135(4) (Michie Supp.1998) (requiring reports once each month or more frequently if the court orders). When and if these submissions indicate that the prisoner has regained competency, this Court will remand the case to the trial court for a hearing to determine whether the prisoner has regained competency so that an execution date may be scheduled. Harris, 789 P.2d at 73. At the hearing, the State will bear the burden of proving competency by a preponderance of the evidence. See Singleton, 437 S.E.2d at 60 (holding that burden is on the State to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that a prisoner has regained competency).