868                               LAWS OF MARYLAND                       [CH. 627

and provisions of this agreement, and who shall provide, within and
without the state, information necessary to the effective operation
of this agreement.

ARTICLE VIII
616-I.

This agreement shall enter into full force and effect as to a party
state when such state has enacted the same into law. A state party
to this agreement may withdraw herefrom by enacting a statute
repealing the same. However, the withdrawal of any state shall not
affect the status of any proceedings already initiated by inmates or
by state officers at the time such withdrawal takes effect, nor shall
it affect their rights in respect thereof.

ARTICLE IX
616J.

This agreement shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate its
purposes. The provisions of this agreement shall be severable and if
any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this agreement is declared
to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United
States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person
or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this
agreement and the applicability thereof to any government, agency,
person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this agree-
ment shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state party
hereto, the agreement shall remain in full force and effect as to the
remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected
as to all severable matters.

Supplemental Provisions
616K.

(a)   The phrase "appropriate court" as used in the Interstate
Agreement on Detainers, with reference to the courts of this State,
means any court in this State having criminal jurisdiction which is
part of the Circuit court of a county, the Supreme Bench of Balti-
more City, or any other court, including trial magistrates, of lesser
criminal jurisdiction than these specified courts.

(b)   The phrase "correctional institution" as used in the Interstate
Agreement on Detainers, with reference to correctional institutions
in this State means any institution or facility referred to in Section
689 of this Article and the jail of any county or the City of Baltimore.

616L.

All courts, departments, agencies, officers and employees of this
State and its political subdivisions are hereby directed to enforce the
Interstate Agreement on Detainers and to cooperate with one another
and with other party states in enforcing the Agreement and effec-
tuating its purpose.

616M.

If any offender or person legally detained and confined in any
correctional institution or facility in this State, who, by reason of