SPIRO T. AGNEW, Governor                         79

"Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "Places of Reformation and
Punishment," subheading "Department of Correction," subhead-
ing "Prisoners," to follow immediately after Section 700A thereof,
to authorize the Commissioner of Correction to permit prisoners in
the State prison system to leave their place of confinement for
specified reasons, to provide for the method of granting such leave,
to regulate such leave, to authorize the adoption of necessary reg-
ulations to effectuate this act and to provide for the effect of
violation of any leave authorized under this act.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Maryland,
That new Section 700B be and it is hereby added to Article 27 of the
Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition and 1966 Supplement),
title "Crimes and Punishments," subtitle "Places of Reformation and
Punishment," subheading "Department of Correction," subheading
"Prisoners," to follow immediately after Section 700A thereof, and
to read as follows:

700B.

(a)    The Commissioner of Correction may authorize compassion-
ate leave in accordance with the provisions of this section for any
inmate confined in any of the institutions enumerated in Section 689
of this article.

(b)    Leave for an inmate shall be authorized only for the purpose
of visiting a member of his immediate family who is seriously ill or
attending the funeral of a member of his immediate family. As used

herein, "immediate family" means a spouse, child, parent, brother

or sister.

(c)    Leave shall be granted only upon the written approval of the
Commissioner. When he approves a leave, he shall issue an authori-
zation to the inmate for the leave which shall specify the conditions
of the leave. At the same time, a copy of the leave authorization
shall be filed by the Commissioner in his office as a public record.
At all times while on leave, the inmate shall have in his possession a
copy of the leave authorization.

(d)    The duration of any leave shall include reasonable travel
time and reasonable time for fulfilling the purpose of the leave. The
inmate to whom leave is granted or anyone acting in his behalf, may
BE REQUIRED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF CORRECTION TO
reimburse the Department of Correction for the expense incurred by
the Department in granting the leave.

(e)    The Commissioner is authorized to adopt such reasonable
regulations as are necessary to carry out the power granted herein.

(f)    Failure to comply with the terms of an authorization for
leave shall be considered as a violation of the provisions of Section
139 of this article.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That this Act shall take effect
June 1, 1967.

Approved March 24, 1967,

"IT