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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to in-prison geriatric communities. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 501, Government Code, is |
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amended by adding Section 501.094 to read as follows: |
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Sec. 501.094. IN-PRISON GERIATRIC COMMUNITIES. (a) The |
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department shall establish a program to confine and treat in |
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in-prison geriatric communities inmates who are 60 years of age or |
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older. |
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(b) The department and the Department of Aging and |
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Disability Services shall jointly develop methods of screening and |
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assessing inmates to determine their needs as geriatric inmates. |
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The department shall screen for geriatric problems each inmate in |
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the custody of the department not later than the inmate's 58th |
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birthday. |
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(c) The program must consist of a treatment program of |
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indeterminate length that addresses the special problems of |
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geriatric inmates. |
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(d) The department shall separate inmates participating in |
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the program from the general population of the department and house |
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the inmates in discrete units or areas within units, except during |
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the diagnostic process or at other times determined to be necessary |
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by the department for medical or security purposes. |
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(e) The department shall employ or contract with qualified |
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professionals to implement the program. For purposes of this |
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subsection, a "qualified professional" is a person who has at least |
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two years of experience in geriatric counseling and is: |
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(1) a certified social worker or advanced clinical |
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practitioner; |
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(2) a licensed professional counselor, advanced |
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practice nurse, physician, or psychologist; or |
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(3) a registered nurse with a master's degree in |
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psychiatric or mental health nursing. |
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(f) The department shall adopt rules of conduct for inmates |
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participating in the program. |
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(g) If a qualified professional implementing the program |
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determines that an inmate is not complying with the rules of the |
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program, the qualified professional shall notify the department of |
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that fact and the department shall end the inmate's participation |
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in the program and transfer the inmate out of the program. |
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(h) The department shall provide at least 800 beds for |
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housing participants in the program. The department not less often |
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than every two years shall determine whether the department should |
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increase the number of beds provided by the department for the |
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program. |
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(i) If funding is available, the criminal justice division |
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of the governor's office, with the assistance of the department, |
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shall develop methods to evaluate the processes used by the |
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department in providing the program and the level of success |
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achieved by the program. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. |