1506                            LAWS OF MARYLAND                      [CH. 696

Department of Jail Programming
JAIL PROGRAMMING AND INSPECTION

704.

(a) There is hereby created the Department of Jail Programming.
The Department shall be under the direction of the Director of Jail
Programming. The Director shall be appointed by the Governor of
Maryland, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate of Mary-
land, for an indefinite term, at the pleasure of the Governor. The
salary of the Director shall be as provided in the annual State budget.

(A) THERE IS HEREBY CREATED WITHIN THE DEPART-
MENT OF CORRECTION THE POSITION OF JAIL PROGRAM-
MING AND INSPECTION OFFICER. THE OFFICER SHALL
HAVE THE POWERS AND DUTIES SPECIFIED IN THIS SEC-
TION. HE SHALL HAVE THE SALARY SPECIFIED IN THE
ANNUAL STATE BUDGET.

(b)  It shall be the duty of the Department to promulgate and
publish, OFFICER TO SUBMIT TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR
APPROVAL certain regulations covering minimum standards for
jails and other places used for the detention or confinement of
offenders against the laws of this State. Such standards shall include
but not be exclusive of such items as security precautions, housing
and sanitation facilities, food services, custodial personnel and ad-
ministrative reporting, including periodic prisoner population and
status reports to State's attorneys and judges. Such regulations and
standards may from time to time be changed or amended by the
Department OFFICER WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE DE-
PARTMENT. Copies of all regulations and standards and changes
thereto shall be furnished to every interested person at no charge.

(c)  At least annually, the Department OFFICER OR HIS DES-
IGNATED REPRESENTATIVE shall inspect the several county
and Baltimore City jails, lockups, jail farms and other such places
of detention. The Department OFFICER will submit a report to the
county commissioners of the several counties and the mayor and city
council of Baltimore, showing the results of such inspection together
with recommendations as to any improvements or construction which
should be made. In the event the Department OFFICER finds that
the jail or other such place does not meet the minimum standards as
heretofore promulgated, copies of the report and recommendations
shall be forwarded to the governing body of the political subdivision
and the State's attorney and circuit court judges for the county or
Baltimore City. In the event that such deficiencies are not substan-
tially corrected within 180 days so that the said jail or other such
place of detention meets minimum standards, the Department OFFI-
CER shall order such place closed and all prisoners therein shall be
transferred to a suitable place of detention in the opinion of the
Department of Correction with the expenses thereof to be paid by
the governing body of the political subdivision; except that in Balti-
more City the requirement for transfer of prisoners shall not be
applicable.

(d)  In the event the county commissioners of any county and the
mayor and city council of Baltimore provide for making such re-
quired improvements to the jail or such other place of detention of